Hamas Needs the Palestinians’ Deaths in Order to Claim Victory – Bassem Eid
(dailyalert.org, Aug. 11, 2014)

The majority of Palestinians has opposed firing rockets into Israel. These rockets will achieve nothing. Palestinians have called on Hamas to stop firing on Israel and to try to negotiate. But Hamas has never considered Palestinian needs. So they have continued to fire rockets at Israel, knowing full-well what the result would be: Hamas paved the road for the death of our people. Indeed, Hamas needs these deaths in order to claim victory. Death of its own people empowers Hamas, enabling it to accrue more money and more arms.

The lesson is that we must rid ourselves of Hamas and completely demilitarize Gaza. Then we will open up the border crossings. I say this as a loyal Palestinian and because I care for my own people. The writer is a human rights activist and a political commentator. (i24 News)

See also Why Isn’t Gaza Revolting Against Hamas? – Elhanan Miller

Bassem Eid, a veteran Jerusalem-based human rights activist and political analyst, said, “There is no doubt there’s an atmosphere of fear and terror in Gaza.” He cited the killing of Hamas official Ayman Taha in Gaza last week over suspicions of corruption and collaboration with Arab intelligence agencies. “Others were executed in various gatherings under the pretext of their being collaborators with Israel.”

“Hamas has a physical presence in almost every house in Gaza and can listen to what’s being said. It’s a Stasi regime par excellence,” he continued, referring to the East German secret police. “The population is much more scared of Hamas than it is of the Israeli soldiers.”  (Times of Israel)