How Israel is using Hamas to crack down on Palestinian demonstrators
Hamas has been trying to present itself as the leader of the Great Return March protests to the dismay of many Palestinians, who believe that this gives Israel more credibility and grounds to use violence against peaceful demonstrators dubbed as terrorists.
Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil’s comments May 16 on Baladna TV sparked much controversy within the Gaza Strip. Bardawil said, “In the last round [of the Great Return marches], 62 people were martyred, 50 of them belonged to Hamas.”
Many believe that such statements give Israel justification for its use of violence against demonstrators along the Gaza fence. The marches broke out March 30, culminating on the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, on May 14, during which over 110 Palestinians were killed and thousands wounded as a result of shooting and using live ammunition and gas bombs.
