GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The number of desperate young people in Gaza is growing every year. They have given up hope for improved conditions in the Gaza Strip, besieged since Hamas won the 2006 elections. Gaza has also been the victim of three destructive wars, a high unemployment rate and the closing of crossings such as Rafah. Faced with this reality, many young people have called for demonstrations against this dire situation, but to no avail.

The most recent demonstration took place on the morning of April 29 in the Shajaiyah neighborhood and also ended in failure. Young people started to gather but before long, only a few remained in the field. 

One of the problems was the clear differences among the slogans. While some of the demonstrators waved banners calling for electricity services, improvement of living conditions and an end to division, others called for ending the security coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel in the West Bank and for supporting the resistance.

Al-Monitor was present when the crowds dispersed upon the arrival of a group of young men brandishing sticks and wearing civilian clothes attacked the protesters. Some of the protesters who spoke to Al-Monitor said that the attackers were “proxies” for the Gaza security apparatus.