E., a resident of the Gaza Strip, speaks to us from an apartment in the Tel Aviv area, where he has been staying for the past week, accompanied by acquaintances who provide him with a roof over his head.
E. entered the Hamas blacklist following statements and posts he published, in which he dared to criticize Hamas' policy in Gaza.
He attacked the Hamas government for violating human rights, came out against discrimination against women in the public sphere and expressed his displeasure with the way Hamas' security mechanisms handle anti-regime activists.
To the absurdity, the one who came to the defense of political prisoners, in the end became one himself.
The long arm of Hamas reached Israel and very quickly he found himself subject to threats and suffering from intimidation and physical and mental harassment.
IDF attack in the Gaza Strip, photo: archive photo: I.P.I
"During the first investigations, there were severe beatings, bruises all over the body, very cruel. Even animals are not treated like that. One of them passes by, punches you, the other continues, beating you mercilessly," says A.
"In the later investigations, there was less physical violence, but they abuse you mentally. They insult you, curse your mother and father, and threaten you. For example, on one occasion they threatened to kill me and told me, 'Tomorrow we will shoot you and throw you to the dogs and tell everyone that you were a collaborator of Israel.'
"Another time they wanted me to sign a paper saying that after I am released I must not talk to anyone about what they did to me during the investigation, and not share with human rights organizations what I went through. After each time you are arrested and released, you must take painkillers and disconnect for three or four days To physically relax from what happened. Mentally, it stays with you, you can't forget. It's one of the things that made me leave Gaza."
A journey in search of livelihood
Two years ago, E. was forced to leave the Gaza Strip following an investigation, in which it was made clear to him that the Hamas security forces had information about his plan to initiate mass demonstrations in Gaza.
E. went to Egypt, tried to make a living from a restaurant business, and last August he managed to return to his family in Gaza.
"I saw that I was returning to the same Gaza with the same problems. There is suppression of freedoms, there are no jobs, and the jobs that are there go to Hamas and their loyalists. There is no stability in life, the situation is bad, people live from hand to mouth, everything I earn - everything goes, nothing is left.
Hamas leader in Gaza Sinwar, photo: Reuters
"The children grow up, they have needs, you have to take care of clothes for the winter, heating the house, all the everyday things, and then you ask, what future awaits them and me? It makes you think, is this how I want to live? It doesn't make sense. The family eats fresh meat Only once a week. Some people eat half portions to get through the day. Every house in Gaza has debts to an electricity company, and people have to pay off loans they took.
"It's getting to the point where residents avoid using their cars unless there's something essential, so as not to waste money on fuel. Many factories in Gaza are closed, merchants go in and out of prison because of debts, but it's not just a matter of money. It's in almost every area of life. There is no infrastructure, no projects, people avoid going to the hospitals because they don't trust the medicine here. Hamas doesn't provide services. There is no future."
"I am the hope for the whole family"
In recent weeks, A. managed to get permission to leave Gaza for the territories of Judea and Samaria, but this was only a temporary stop on his way to Israel.
"I paid NIS 2,400 to someone who will take care of the process of obtaining a work permit for me, because I want everything to be legal. There are brokers who arrange these things for money, and that is a lot of money. But if in the end I get a permit, I want to transfer NIS 5,000 to my family members every month. It means staying away from them, but you can talk to the children via WhatsApp video calls. Even my parents and sister encouraged me to take this step and said, 'You are the lifeline for us'. I am the hope for my whole family."
Gaza Strip, Photo: Reuters
Through friends, E. managed to meet some people in Israel, and hopes to settle here for a long time.
"I happened to participate in a Hanukkah candle lighting event somewhere. I didn't feel any racism towards me, and the people who celebrated knew I was a Palestinian from Gaza. We started talking about songs and food. Our neighbor is Jewish. I helped her carry the bags when she returned from shopping at the supermarket. I am against violence and attacks, and like me There are other people in Gaza who think like this. The problem is that Gaza is run according to agendas that do not represent the will of the people. People are afraid of Hamas and have stopped protesting. Will I return to Gaza? They will probably cause me problems and imprison me. For now I am not thinking about it."
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