Palestinians scoff at #Thanks_Hamas video clip

Palestinian Twitter users ridiculed a video clip produced by Hamas as part of its campaign for the 206 local Palestinian elections.

The slick video clip showed different scenes from what appeared to represent Hamas's achievements in the Gaza Strip since its takeover in 2007. 

All the scenes were taken in bright daylight. What looked like ordinary Palestinians, including women and children, carried a sign of the hashgtag #شكرا_حماس, which is Arabic for #Thanks_Hamas.

Most of the frames in the video were apparently taken by a camera mounted on a drone. In one part, Gaza’s water park was highlighted, while the new housing projects (mostly built by Qatari and UAE aid) were superimposed.

Strangely, none of the scenes of destruction brought about by Israel’s recurrent wars with Hamas were visible in the clip.

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The video spread quickly on social media. On Twitter, many Palestinians began to use the hashtag to highlight Hamas’s failures.

“#Thanks_Hamas because you achieved the highest unemployment rate that even great countries couldn’t reach,” said one Twitter user.

Hamas’s rivals were also quick to capitalize on the opportunity to scoff at its latest PR effort. The Palestinian secular group, which is led by President Mahmoud Abbas, produced a video of its own.

Fatah’s video used the same hasghtag and it was dominated by scenes from the vast destruction in Gaza.

Unlike Hamas’s bright scenes, Fatah’s video clip showed mostly dark pictures  and began with a huge question mark, highlighting footage from the tunnels used by many in Gaza to breach the Israeli blockade.

The online tussle took place ahead of the Palestinian local elections. The vote will be held in October 2016 for the first time in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since 2006.