Occupied Jerusalem/Gaza City: Over and over again, one song is heard: Hamsawi ma yihab il-mot.
It trails from radios everywhere, on the only station in Gaza.
Hamsawi kermal id-din.
"A Hamas fighter is not afraid of death. A Hamas fighter is for the sake of religion!"
Catchy, high-stepping, and jingoistic, it is the tune that plays all day long on Hamas's Al Aqsa Radio, the only one that remains standing after the turbulent ousting of its Palestinian rival Fatah earlier this month. From the airwaves to the imams' sermons, the message here is one of self-congratulation: for routing corrupt officials, for bringing a feeling of calm after months of internecine gun battles.
But closer to the ground, unofficial channels convey a deep sense of uncertainty. Some say they're relieved that the internal fighting over, while many others express a fear for the future — especially when the local storekeeper suddenly stops selling them food on credit, and when Israeli jets thunder overhead.
'Where to go?'
For many here, like Ahmad Shalayal, the future feels amorphous. Shalayal used to have a job with the Palestinian police. Now, he sits at home most days and trying to figure out how to support his wife and five children.
"I work for the Palestinian police, but the orders from President [Mahmoud] Abbas were to stay home," he explains. "I still take orders from him, because he will pay me my salary. I am stuck between the salary of Abbas and the orders of Hamas. If they don't sit together and solve the problems, we will die from the suffering."
On a trip to his local supermarket, Shalayal finds the owner and his friends discussing the latest news.
"Come on," argues Ebrahim, who gives only his first name, "don't you see how we feel safe and secure after we got rid of those corrupt guys?" "And what about the food?" responds Samir, who also gives only one name. "Is this what Hamas wants? To starve people?"
Emad Al Tanna, the supermarket owner, nods. "This supermarket is going to empty out soon. Tell Hamas to manage to open the Karni crossing [with Israel] and bring me goods to sell."
Shalayal stands at the counter, and, when there's a lull in the political debate, asks for a bag of rice and some cooking oil. Al Tanna frowns and shakes his head. "No more buying on credit," he tells Shalayal.
Embarrassed, Shayalal snaps back. "So where do you want me to go? Should I ask Abbas to send me some money? Maybe [Esmail] Haniya?"
Gaza these days can sometimes feel calmer than normal. Residents are enjoying visits to large swaths of beachfront that had once been closed off and "privatised" by Fatah kingpins. Some people are returning to work, while students take their makeup exams.
And yet, there has been a sea change here.
Abu Suhayid, a policeman who alternates between untangling traffic jams outside police headquarters and sitting at his guard post reading the Quran, brags that Hamas's ascendency is already bringing stability. There's no imposition of strict Sharia law, but subtle changes are evident.
A man his in mid-20s who sports a full beard, unseen on Palestinian policemen in the past but rapidly becoming part of the uniform, says: "We haven't killed any of our people. We killed only the corrupt people who hole the people' resources and put them in their own bank accounts."
Seeing a reporter, a small group of civilians gather to eavesdrop. One of them interrupts. "Yeah, but you killed innocent people," charges the young man, yelling at Suhayid. "People who had nothing to do with Fatah or Hamas." Suhayid brushes it off with a smile and a religious benediction.
Raed Shami, who lives in one of the higher-quality high-rise buildings in the newer Tel Al Hawa neighbourhood, is busy moving out. "I think that these clashes might take place again at anytime."
In this sea of uncertainty, people who were affiliated with Fatah are taking several different approaches. Some are trying to get to the West Bank. Some are declaring themselves breakaway factions of Fatah, such as Abu Hillal, who called a press conference to say that he was establishing Al Yasser wing of Fatah. Many from both Fatah and Hamas insist that the fight was not about factional fighting, but a revolt against Fatah security czar Mohammad Dahlan.
Others are simply staying home, for fear that there will be more 'purges' of Fatah people.
