Even though Hamas didn't manage to bring as many demonstrators to the Gaza border as it intended – it wanted over 100,000 Palestinians to march along the border fence – the organization is satisfied that the Palestinian issue in general and the distress of the residents of Gaza in particular – who are living under an ongoing blockade – has been restored to the international agenda without a word being uttered against the group that controls Gaza and is responsible for the serious humanitarian crisis that is engulfing the population of the Gaza Strip.
But even Hamas knows it can't get away with this forever. The Gazan public, which has had it up to here with struggles that only lead to more military clashes for which it pays in blood, will stop flocking to the weekend protests at the border fence and the number of participants will dwindle. The monthlong Ramadan fast, which begins in three weeks, will also likely have an effect on the number of people taking part in the weekend protests.
Hamas places great importance on keeping up the momentum of the popular "nonviolent" demonstrations. So this weekend, Hamas leaders didn't show up en masse and tried to minimize their inciteful declarations. Head of Hamas security in Gaza Tawfik Abu Naim even put out a call to "keep the protest a popular, nonviolent, peaceful" one and announced that his people would not allowed anyone carrying arms into the gathering areas.
Hamas understands that it is winning the PR battle, so the terrorist actions on the border are few and the result of local initiative, not organized by the leadership of its military wing. Hamas will try to preserve the tense quiet on the border until the Nakba Day march on May 15. Until then, Hamas and the Israeli security establishment will have several weekend protests as well as the events marking Palestinian Prisoners Day to contend with.
The Hamas leadership is gambling on psychological warfare, and from time to time it appears to be paying off. But as we know, gambles might be profitable in the short term if someone knows when to quit. But it appears that Hamas has no intention of getting up from the table any time soon.
