The PLO Executive Committee strongly condemned the violent suppression of the social protest in the Gaza Strip by Hamas militias.
The demonstrations, organized under the heading "We Want to Live", resulted in dozens of injuries caused by live fire and the use of riot control equipment, including clubs. Many of the victims are suffering from broken limbs. Hamas forces also broke into suspects' homes and arrested hundreds of residents, including journalists.
The demonstrators were protesting the cost of living in the Gaza Strip and demanded that the Hamas authorities work to improve the economic situation. One of the videos from the protests shows a woman calling Hamas operatives "traitors" and calling on them to go kill Jews instead of oppressing their brethren.
The PLO Executive Committee on Tuesday accused the Hamas authorities of unlawfully levying taxes and fees on residents of the Gaza Strip in a way that worsened the socio-economic situation in the coastal enclave.
It was further claimed that Hamas' policy, which is prepared to receive funds from external sources, including Israel, indicates the movement's willingness to integrate into the American-Israeli effort to impose a political solution on the Palestinian Arab leadership and people under the “Deal of the Century”.