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I Saw How Hamas Is Embedded within Gaza's Population

(Ynet News) Maj. (res.) Roi Yanovsky - While Gaza is perceived by the world as an overcrowded, third-world territory, I saw a wholly different picture during 100 days in the reserves inside Gaza. Gaza City is a modern, well-developed city. Big houses, a big plaza, parks, well-maintained walkways right on the beach and so much more. It looks far more like Tel Aviv. The world's "most crowded"? Not by a long shot. Homes are loaded with fancy belongings, furniture, and appliances. Most places are bigger than my Tel Aviv apartment. Blaming their will to fight Israel on their poor living conditions does a disservice to the truth. In most homes, every school and every public institution, the single most prevalent object seems to be a map of Israel. Of course, it doesn't say Israel, as it refers to the entire territory as Palestine. They chose to inhabit an alternate reality, making it far more difficult to find common ground. In every single neighborhood we were in, weapons, tunnels, explosive charges and launchpads were all conveniently located inside residential buildings. The Palestinian civilians who reside there are acutely aware of all this. Hamas operatives are fully aware that if they walk around unarmed in civilian clothing, the IDF is highly unlikely to view them as hostile. Not only is Hamas embedded within the Palestinian population, the population is embedded within Hamas. Its ideology can be found in practically every home. Hamas would never have become this powerful without active assistance from the locals. The writer is a journalist at Israel's Channel 13.
2024-01-16 00:00:00
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