In the towns and cities of Gaza, some are beginning to condemn the organization's tactics.
"If Hamas cares for its own people, they will not continue doing what they're doing," said Abu Haythen. "The world does not recognize Hamas. The Arabs don't recognize them. It is only since they have come to power in Gaza that we have seen destruction, blockades and bloodshed. This is the curse of their brutality."
However, Abdullah Kassab, a sophomore at the Islamic University in Gaza City, said Hamas was not to blame.
"Hamas is not the reason we are undergoing this," he said, referring to Israel. "We know we are not alone. The Arab and Muslim nations back us. Hamas is fighting for its destiny. It's a 'to be or not to be' battle and we must endure what all occupied peoples endure."
Hamas has long balanced its radical Islamist views against the Palestinian dream of statehood. The group's military wing, which is closely aligned to the leadership in Syria and is influenced by Iran and the militant Hezbollah organization in Lebanon, has gained a stronger voice. This was evident when top military commander Ahmed Jabari was recently named as a ranking member in Gaza's political echelon led by Ismail Haniyeh, who is widely viewed as a pragmatist. That militant tilt is likely to determine when, or if, Hamas accepts an end to the fighting.
"It's possible that Hamas' political arm will accept a cease-fire while the military arm will keep on fighting," said Anat Kurz, senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. "The higher [military] leadership of Hamas is underground, and there's a general assessment that they don't know what's going on above the surface. . . . If they do know what's going on, maybe they feel their backs are to the wall and they have nothing to lose."
The head of the Israeli Security Agency, Yuval Diskin, reported in a government briefing Sunday that Hamas' abilities were dwindling and its leaders were hiding in hospitals and bunkers and stealing humanitarian aid. He said that before the Israeli offensive began Dec. 27 the group was firing 100 to 200 rockets daily into southern Israel. In recent days, he said, Hamas has launched about 20 rockets a day. At least 13 Israelis have been killed since the offensive began: 10 soldiers, four of them from "friendly fire," and three civilians.
