A Gaza family’s admission to killing a Hamas police officer in retaliation for a relative’s death has fueled dissent against the militant group, prompting a warning from Hamas authorities against actions undermining public order.
Protests Against Hamas
But following protests against Hamas by hundreds of demonstrators in northern Gaza last month, the incident underscored the increasing willingness of some Gaza civilians to voice criticism or act against Hamas, which has run the Palestinian enclave since defeating the rival Fatah faction in 2007.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Palestinians also rallied in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, chanting “Hamas out” and “Enough death” in renewed protests against the Islamist faction.
Residents were angered by new Israeli military evacuation orders, which the military said followed rocket salvoes by militants from the area.
They may have been emboldened to take to the streets by a sharply reduced presence of Hamas police and security forces in the past weeks since Israel’s large-scale attacks have resumed, after a surge during a ceasefire in January.
Anti-Hamas Sentiment
The pockets of anti-Hamas sentiment in Gaza were highlighted by the video of the street killing of the police officer going viral on social media. It showed him being shot in the head and then sprayed with bullets from an assault rifle as other men urged on the family members.
The family, well known in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, issued a statement on social media, which was shared by several relatives, saying they had killed the officer, without identifying who had pulled the trigger, but also said it had not been a planned action.
They said one of the family members had been killed by a police officer as police tried to resolve a feud outside a flour storage site, rejecting that he had been caught by shrapnel.
Hamas Warns Protesters
“We will not allow any party to spread chaos in the Gaza Strip or take the law into their own hands,” Hamas said in a statement, adding that it had begun measures to bring those involved to justice.
In a separate statement, Hamas said the killing of the officer was a crime that only “serves Zionist goals in breaking the internal Palestinian front and spreads chaos and anarchy”.
In a different incident, in Gaza City, another family accused Hamas police of killing a relative and vowed vengeance.
“The blood of our son will not be wasted,” the family said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment by the Hamas-led police about that incident.
(With inputs from Reuters)
