On insanity and counter-insanity – Abdullah in Haaretz:

‘My name is Abdullah. I am 30 years old and live in the Gaza Strip.
I live in a house with my two elderly parents who can't walk very far, so they couldn't flee at the start of the war. Our house was destroyed in the bombing. My two nieces were killed and my mother was seriously wounded.
With bombing going on in the background, I'm writing this in a house whose windows have been blown out. We hung up sheets to keep out the cold but they don't help much. Since the first week of the war we've had no electricity and no access to hospitals or medication of any kind. I'm writing in total darkness and bitter cold while gripped with fear and anxiety.’

(…)

‘After more than 100 days of insanity and counter-insanity, more than 100 days of war and the Nakba we're experiencing, the war still doesn't seem close to ending.
I could die or be wounded at any moment, so I have to speak out. The voice of reason must be heard – the voice that's being silenced on both sides. So I steal an hour during the struggle for survival to write words that could cost me my life.’

(…)

‘Moreover, long before October 7, Hamas stopped representing me and many others like me.
Hamas is an oppressive ideological religious organization that steals our freedom, enslaves us, abducts us at gunpoint and suppresses any voice that opposes it. Hamas rejects the idea of the civilian state, which it sees as a desecration of everything holy and a violation of sharia law. It's a religious, totalitarian, tyrannical government that restricts freedom of expression. It's an exact copy of the Iranian regime.
Yes, Hamas won the 2006 election for a four-year term, but no election has followed in Gaza. In other words, since 2010 its rule is not legitimate, and it doesn't represent the Palestinian people. This is an important point that the world needs to keep in mind.’

(…)

‘The problem is that Hamas is the snake that grew up in Israel's embrace. Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are the main ones responsible for the growth of its military power. Israel did nothing when Hamas seized control of Gaza, though it could have easily intervened and stopped the coup, and Hamas went on to exploit Israel's blockade on Gaza. Hamas profited from it, strengthened its presence and boosted its popularity.
But Hamas isn't the only extremist religious movement endangering us. After years of a political dead end, the extremists on both sides have strengthened. They both promote the idea that the other side is made up solely of enemies who deserve to die.
In Israel too there are people filled with hatred and racism who are hostile to the most basic human values such as freedom, equality, justice and democracy. And they use religion to ignite wars and profit from them.’

(…)

‘It's true that the Palestinians in general refuse to see the differences and diversity of Israeli society. But Israeli society, in turn, refuses to see Palestinian pluralism. Israel doesn't distinguish between the organization that's fighting it and the people. All are enemies in its eyes. All should be wiped out. The truth is, we view Israel in the same way, which is why the bloodshed will never stop without a just and comprehensive political solution.
Hamas doesn't care if half a million people in Gaza die. We're dying for the sake of its slogans and political interests. It wants to get the Israeli army operating against us in civilian neighborhoods. It wants Israel to kill as many civilians as possible to help justify its existence. It wants to tell the world that it's a legitimate resistance organization against a criminal occupier.
The odd thing is that Israel is playing right into its hands.’

Read the article here.

I assume that Haaretz and the Liberal who published this article first have more information on the author.
Hamas is most probably much more popular on the West Ban k, and in some other parts of the world, than in Gaza. Even Israel will release many Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages the popularity of Hamas will surge. For how long is the question.

Israel and Hamas have been playing into each other hands for a long time. And I’m not at all convinced that October 7 will have ended this practice.

Insanity and counter-insanity are going to continue for a while.