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Hamas Held Responsible for Oppression in Gaza Strip

A general view of Gaza. (Reuters)
A general view of Gaza. (Reuters)
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Hamas Held Responsible for Oppression in Gaza Strip

A general view of Gaza. (Reuters)
A general view of Gaza. (Reuters)

The Palestinian Authority (PA) held the Gaza Strip ruling party, Hamas, responsibility for ongoing oppression there. Hamas is facing accusations of using excessive force with civilians after leading a crackdown against protesters demonstrating over economic hardship and upped tax brackets.

In a first since Hamas seized the Strip twelve years ago, fierce clashes erupted between its forces and hundreds of young demonstrators in Gaza on Saturday as protests against the high cost of living in the coastal enclave entered their third day.

Hamas security forces were reported to have fired at and used batons against demonstrators. Labeled as unprecedented, the violence between Hamas and the Strip’s residents saw to the detention and arrest of several civilians.

One of the demonstrators, with his face covered in blood, chanted: “We want to live in dignity”.

The Ramallah-based Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) said Hamas forces attacked its staff in Gaza because they were doing their job of monitoring and reporting the movement’s crackdown on the street protests.

ICHR director Ammar Dweik said that Hamas forces attacked and severely beat the director of its Gaza branch, Jamil Sarhan, and its attorney, Baker Turkman, and seized their mobile phones.

He said Hamas wants to silence rights groups who are monitoring the protests.

“We are deeply alarmed and shocked by the way our staff in Gaza were treated,” Dweik told Palestine TV, pointing out that this is the first time in 25 years since the ICHR was established that its staff is treated in such a manner. Victim of Hamas brutality, the ICHR, according to Dweik, will rethink its working in Gaza.

He noted that while this is the way human rights defenders are treated, what is actually happening to the civilians in the street is a lot worse.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has also condemned Hamas’ attack on journalists and said that reporters covering the protests were attacked in the streets and at their homes and their equipment was seized.

It said Hamas exercised brutal force against protesters and journalists, leaving many wounded.

Medical sources said over 70 people were treated in Gaza hospitals since Saturday.

Calls were made for a general strike on Sunday in Gaza to protest the crackdown on the demonstrations, as well as the staggering rise in consumer prices and tax hikes in the impoverished and besieged enclave.

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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the Middle East, stating that Moscow “has not and will not withdraw from the region.” He emphasized ongoing communication with Syria’s new leadership and expressed readiness to support the political process in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov attributed Syria’s deteriorating situation to the previous regime, blaming its unwillingness to implement reforms and share power with the opposition.

“The refusal of the former Syrian regime to make any changes or share power with the opposition was one of the primary reasons for its collapse,” he said.

Lavrov noted that over the past decade, since President Bashar al-Assad requested Russian intervention in the Syrian war and the launch of the Astana peace process, Damascus had delayed advancing the political path.

“Despite support from Arab nations, Syrian authorities showed reluctance to move forward politically and sought to maintain the status quo,” he explained.

He highlighted Russia’s repeated calls for the Syrian government to engage with the Constitutional Committee, established during the 2018 Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, and to actively work on drafting a new constitution.

Lavrov also pointed to economic challenges exacerbated by sanctions, which have stifled Syria’s economy, and US control over oil-rich eastern regions. Resources were exploited to fuel separatist ambitions in northeastern Syria, he remarked.

Moreover, the FM revealed details of Moscow’s earlier discussions with Kurdish groups, reiterating his country’s position that Kurdish rights should be guaranteed within the constitutional frameworks of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Türkiye.

He argued that the previous Syrian regime’s reluctance to engage in political dialogue resulted in stalled reforms proposed by the United Nations, Moscow and Cairo platforms, and Istanbul-based opposition groups. This inaction, he said, created a vacuum that ultimately led to the collapse.

Furthermore, he dismissed claims that his country’s withdrawal from Syria would signal its departure from the Middle East.

“Russia has not and will not leave the region,” he declared. Without directly addressing the status of Russian military bases in Syria, Lavrov emphasized: “Our embassy never left Damascus, and we maintain ongoing communication with the authorities.”

He also stressed Russia’s willingness to facilitate inclusive dialogue involving all national, political and sectarian factions, as well as relevant international stakeholders. Lavrov underscored that recent discussions with Türkiye, Gulf nations, and other parties demonstrated widespread agreement that Russia and Iran must be involved in the Syrian peace process if sustainable results are to be achieved.

For his part, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, reaffirmed Russia’s focus on developments in Syria, describing relations with Damascus as a “priority of Russian foreign policy.”

Reports on Tuesday suggested that Bogdanov might soon lead a Russian delegation to Damascus. However, a Russian diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that no date for the visit has been confirmed. The visit, which was reportedly postponed, would mark the first by a senior Russian official to Damascus since the fall of Assad’s regime in December.

Meanwhile, media reports indicated that Moscow is facing logistical challenges in withdrawing military equipment from Syria, due to restrictions imposed by Syrian authorities on the movement of Russian ships in territorial waters.

According to the English-language edition of RT, the Russian ship Sparta 2, designated to transport military equipment and weapons, was denied entry to the Port of Tartus, where Russia maintains its only overseas naval base.