Israel and Egypt have closed all borders with the Gaza strip because Hamas controls Gaza. Smugglers have dug hundreds of tunnels under the border to bring in food, fuel, supplies, and weapons.
Hamas, as the only government in the Gaza strip, has started to regulate the tunnels. Forty-five workers have died in the tunnels this year, so Hamas has demanded that tunnel operators improve working conditions to reduce the number of deaths. Specifically, Hamas insist that employers now pay “diyeh” to the killed workers family. If the tunnel operators have to pay for each death, then they will naturally implement some new safety measures to avoid some deaths.
Imagine you are a Palestinian stuck in the Gaza strip. Israel has closed the borders and cut off your access to affordable food and your access to good jobs in Israel. Israel says they are doing this because Hamas is launching attacks from Gaza and Israel will reopen the borders if Hamas is pushed from power.
Maybe this makes you upset with Hamas. You start to think about ways to get Hamas out of power. While you are thinking about this, you look for a job. You find one working as a smuggler. Then Hamas makes your job safer by regulating your employer. Hamas even connects your tunnel to the electric grid so you can have electric lights while you work. Will you want to destroy Hamas now? No, because they just made you safer. They just did things that directly benefit you. Your anger will turn towards Israel. You will blame them for your problems, not Hamas.
Hamas is winning in Gaza because it is providing services that the people want. In this case, they are providing electricity and they are regulating employers to improve working conditions. Hamas gets stronger every day that the borders are closed.
The only way to win the West Bank or in Gaza is to provide better services, better jobs, and better security than Hamas can provide.
