"Send Them to Hell": Fury in Gaza Over Hamas Leaders' Exit Rumors

Reports from the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat suggesting that senior Hamas leaders are preparing to flee the Gaza Strip have sparked a wave of intense anger and desperate hope among local residents. For the civilians who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and relatives during the war against the terrorist organization, the prospect of an official exit for their leaders represents a bitter end to a decade of oppression. In exclusive conversations with N12, residents of the Gaza Strip described the Hamas leadership as a corrupt group of criminals who traded the blood of the Palestinian people for personal survival. While some residents pray for the terrorists to leave through a safe corridor to prevent further bloodshed, others are calling for their immediate imprisonment for the systematic theft of public funds and the destruction they brought upon the region.

Voices of Anger and Betrayal

Khaled, a Gaza resident known for his opposition to the terrorist regime, expressed profound skepticism regarding the true intentions of the group but argued that their departure is the only way to ensure the war does not return. "I know they are thieves, corrupt, and criminals," Khaled stated. "Their exit is the best solution at this stage because as long as they are inside Gaza, there is a possibility that the war will return because of their presence." He noted that the leadership serves no purpose for the people and only exists to call for more death. Khaled lamented that the international community failed to support local opposition groups, leaving Gaza in the hands of radicalized violent men. "The best and safest solution is for them to leave the Strip so the world calms down and we take away the excuses for renewed fighting," he added.

Another resident, Juma'a, did not hold back his fury, using even harsher language to describe his feelings toward the Islamic movement. "By the grace of God, let them go to hell, them and this Islamic current," he told N12. "They are the ones who did all this, and now they want to run away. May God take them. Let a disaster fall on them and their children." This sentiment of abandonment is common among those who feel that the leadership is seeking a "safe exit" only after the infrastructure of the region has been decimated.

The Remaining Commanders and the March Deadline

While many top commanders have already been eliminated, two key figures remain entrenched in the Gaza Strip: Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the commander of the military wing, and Tawfiq Abu Naim, the head of internal security who was a close associate of Yahya Sinwar. According to residents like Iman, there is a deep fear that if these leaders and the remnants of the terrorist groups do not surrender their weapons and tunnels, the war will escalate. "People here in Gaza hope that Hamas will really hand over the weapons and the tunnels and leave," Iman explained. She noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump have set a mid-March deadline for the total disarmament of the group. "There is great concern about the end of the time period given by Netanyahu and Trump. This is the deadline for handing over weapons, and we sincerely fear that the war will return."

According to the Saudi reports, several leaders who were released in the 2011 Shalit deal are expected to move permanently to Turkey or other countries for several years. While some military leaders reportedly refuse to leave under any circumstances, others are coordinating with the external leadership of the terrorist organization to secure their departure. For the people left in the rubble, the primary hope is that the departure of these officials will finally allow for the establishment of the Peace Council and a return to some form of stability, free from the radical ideology that brought about the current devastation.