We, as Palestinians, cannot absolve ourselves of responsibility for why Hamas has remained in power in Gaza for over 17 years, leading to the horrors we endure today. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying to you.  

We tried, and we failed. People were shot, imprisoned, and killed—by Hamas, not just in Gaza but also in the West Bank. Activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens who spoke out were silenced with bullets, prisons, and fear.   

Every attempt to resist their grip was met with brutal force. Since Hamas took control, more than 300,000 young people have fled Gaza, escaping a future with no hope under their rule.  

But taking responsibility does not mean we had a choice. No one willingly accepts tyranny. No one chooses to live under oppression.   

We were crushed and abandoned by the entire pro-Palestine movement, which refused to acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza under Hamas’s rule. 

Instead of supporting those who resisted, many in the movement incited against them, silenced them, and even threatened their lives.  

And that’s why, to this day, we are still fighting to remove them.