Hamas Raids 'We Want to Live' Protests in Gaza Strip

Following a severe raid by Hamas on Palestinians protesting against tax increases in the Gaza Strip, reports have emerged of hundreds of Palestinians being arrested; simultaneously, Hamas distributed sweets in Gaza City due to the killing of an Israeli. The protests, initiated by hundreds of Gaza residents on Thursday, March 14, gained widespread attention on social media under the hashtag 'Badna Na'eish' (We Want to Live). On Saturday, the third day of these protests, Hamas militants, supported by the Islamic Republic, confronted the demonstrators, leading to a heavy security presence in the streets of Gaza. According to images shared on social media, Hamas forces fired into the air and charged at the protesters, arresting several of them. Accurate reports on the number of detainees are not available, but the newspaper 'Asharq Al-Awsat' cited the number of arrests at around five hundred by Saturday evening. The German news agency also reported that over 600 protesters had been detained by Hamas. The Associated Press reported that at least four human rights activists were also detained for several hours on Saturday. Several Palestinian groups issued a joint statement calling on Hamas to end its armed presence in the streets and to immediately release the detainees. West Bank officials emphasized the 'right to freedom of expression' and urged Hamas to cease violence against protesters and release the detainees. Afir Gendelman, spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister, shared a video of Hamas's raid on the protesters in Gaza, noting that Hamas had 'killed hundreds of Palestinians' in 2007, and tweeted that it is likely this terrorist group would kill dozens of Palestinians in the streets again. The Gaza Strip has a population of about two million, who constantly face shortages of basic necessities. Since 2007, following armed conflicts among Palestinian groups, Hamas has taken control of the Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian Authority has been limited to the West Bank. Since then, the Gaza Strip has been under blockades by Israel and Egypt. Meanwhile, as protests escalated in the Gaza Strip, an attack in the West Bank on Saturday resulted in the death of one Israeli citizen and injuries to two others. According to an Israeli army spokesperson, the assailant was a Palestinian who used a knife and then a firearm, killing one and seriously injuring two soldiers. Israeli forces are reportedly searching for the assailant. Hamas referred to this attack as the 'Salfit operation' and, following the news, distributed sweets in the streets of Gaza. Some social media users suggested that Hamas carried out the attack to divert attention from the street protests in Gaza. Despite expressing happiness over the attack, Hamas did not directly claim responsibility for it.