Gaza Under Hamas: Quiet, Cut Off and Digging In
September 8, 2007 9:00 am Hamas, Israeli-Palestinian conflictErlanger, Gaza Under Hamas: Quiet, Cut Off and Digging In, New York Times, September 8, 2007
GAZA CITY, Sept. 4 — Nearly three months after Hamas conquered the teeming streets of Gaza, a wary calm has taken hold. People stroll at all hours, car theft has practically stopped, even armed police officers are rarely seen.
After 18 months in which gun battles between Hamas and Fatah forces defined street life, Hamas has made it illegal to carry weapons in public or to fire them, even at weddings or funerals.
Tamer al-Bagga, who manages a beachside cafe, said people now patronized his business until “all hours of the night.” In June, people were hiding at home, keeping their children on the floor to avoid bullets. “Now we have security,” he said. “But with the closure, we have no money.”