Rayyan (in the photo) was speaking after the end of what Hamas called a "military war-game". I think he was damn right. That training session was not a war-game.
The question is why would Hamas, or its military wing, carry out such a useless and stupid "war-game" and invite to it all the media crews in Gaza, at this particular time?
Rayyan, the polygamous and fat political Hamas leader, strangely put on a commando outfit, carried an AK-47, and led the Mujahideen. As the training went on, we saw a house that was fired at from different sides, by machine-guns, RPGs and hand-grenade.
No structures looking like settlements, or cars modified to look like Merkava tanks. That was it.As if Israel will invade Gaza using a house!
I remember Rayyan from a trip to Egypt last year. After crossing the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the only way to go to Cairo was in a seven-passenger 70s Mercedes.
After I negotiated with the driver, and made sure he knows the place I am going to, I found out that Rayyan, and one of his relatives, or his guards, was sitting beside me in the seat behind the driver.
I instantly recognized him. I also recognized the typical Hamas, or Muslim Brotherhood, tint on his face: humility from an unkempt black beard, a down-to-earth attitude, with a sprinkling of Koranic verses and Muhammad's sayings every now and then.
As the car moved through the Sinai desert, I just decided not to give a damn to who he was. After all, we were in Egypt, not Gaza, and all the other passengers were talking to him, asking him questions about politics and the purpose of his visit to Cairo.
I noticed that he keeps looking at me, furtively, from the "corners of his eyes" as we say in Palestine. A leader like him must be an all-time paranoid, doubtful of all those around him, especially a silent young man who seems to listen more than talk.
That's why it was astonishing to see Rayyan again on TV the other day, ranting literary sentences against the Israelis, the USA and Abbas' security forces.
The video footage on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya did not help his case: He was gasping, trying to catch every breath, between his strong and emotive words. Obviously running and hopping around with an AK-47 was not something Rayyan does every day. It was actually the first time I saw him on TV in this outfit, with the Kevlar jacket failing to hide his bulging paunch.
He obviously failed to impress the IDF young reservists who mightone day be involved in an asymetrical fight in Gaza Strip's convoluted alleyways.
Another part showed him struggling with his sleek AK-47. Other parts of the "war game" showed other fighters with balaclavas, tip-toeing on the ground like 3D animated characters in a Counter-Strike PC game.
Does Hamas want to give Israel more excuses to attack Gaza with this mediocre show?
Don't misunderstand Hamas. Hamas is trying to prevent other Palestinian militant groups from launching rockets against Israel. Its Executive Force is deployed in areas bordering Israel, and a sense of detente seems to exist between Hamas and Israel, which is busy bugging Syria and Hezbollah in the north.
It was a Ramadan's night. After a long day of abstaining from food, drinks and sex, Gazans like to go out, have fun with whatever means possible, or available.
I remember that almost in all neighbourhoods, small football leagues are organized over the 30-day month. Young men and women flock to our "high street" in Omar al-Mukhtar st. in Gaza City for a peek on some cute girl or a muscular boy, a shisha or Gaza's famous lemon squash, aka Barrad, at Kazim's Gelateria.
Amid this, Nazar Rayyan, who did not appear on TV screens for a long period, especially after the violent takeover of Gaza Strip, decided to entertain his people in northern Gaza Strip. Why not?
The tummies were filled with the multi-course scrumptious Iftars, followed by dozens of hot Katayif pancakes and refreshing tea with mint.
All the grouchiness that accompanied a long fasting day vanished. So it seemed to be a good idea to have some fun with guns and RPGs, get photographed and filmed.
The Media are interested? bring'em on! This will at least convince the Israeli surveillance machines, which are watching us with uncountable air-drones, that we're here to have a post-Iftar diversion only.
Gazans also have a strange fondness of guns and everything explosive. I am not referring here to the daily violence. It is far deeper than that. It's something that can be compared only to the Americans' passion about guns and pistols.
Therefore this guaranteed Rayyan a large audience, in an area close to Jabaliyah Refugee Camp, the most densely populated place on earth.
So the Hamas show in Beit Lahiya certainly attracted thousands of Palestinians, particularly children, who would love to collect the cartridges, and simply do nothing with them. After all, what else do they have to play with?
In my next blog, I am gonna cite some interesting reactions to this "war game" from Arab media sources. I will also post an analysis of Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip as well as an overview on Fatah's predicament.
Stay tuned!!
