Crime & Punishment in the Gaza Strip

[MODEM CONNECTING] SUROOSH ALVI: We're at the Erez crossing, which is where you enter Gaza from. So apparently, when you go into Gaza, you have to walk until you get to the first town there. And-- [GUNFIRE] SUROOSH ALVI: And apparently, that walk is very dangerous, because-- [GUNFIRE] SUROOSH ALVI: Because you can get shot. It's been brothers killing brothers over there, Hamas and Fatah, fighting over control of the Gaza Strip. Hamas declared victory. Hamas is saying, you know, enough with moderation. It's time to create a proper Islamic state. We are driving through the Sinai Peninsula on our way to the Gaza Strip. In 2007, we were filming in Israel and we tried to access the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing. We couldn't get in. It was sealed off. Four years later, we are now accessing the Gaza Strip through Egypt, through the Rafah crossing. After the Egyptian Revolution, the crossing was opened up. The people wanted to support the Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip. They've been under a blockade by air and by sea. It's been inaccessible, sealed off to the outside world. So it's finally open now, and we're going to go in and see what life is like for the people of the Gaza Strip underneath Hamas rule. [HORN HONKING] SUROOSH ALVI: Now even though the Rafah crossing is open, it doesn't make getting in any easier. MALE SPEAKER 1: [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] SUROOSH ALVI: When we got to the entrance, it was a jammed mess of suitcases and people screaming to get in. MALE SPEAKER 2: [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] SUROOSH ALVI: With our passports and a little bit of patience, we eventually pushed through the chaos, slipped through the gate and into the clearing. SUROOSH ALVI: After that, we had to go to a holding center to get checked and vetted again, which ended up taking about three hours. The place was packed, but the vibe inside was a bit calmer and more organized and it was outside. People seemed genuinely excited to be entering the Gaza Strip. MALE SPEAKER 3: [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] SUROOSH ALVI: We eventually got put on a bus, drove past the border marker, and got dropped off in Palestinian territory on the other side. The whole bus trip lasted about three minutes, and we drove the distance of about two football fields. But we couldn't argue with protocol. We were finally in the Gaza Strip. The drive from the border town of Rafah in the south to Gaza City in the north is just 25 miles, which gives you an idea of just how tiny the place is. According to the UN, more than two-thirds of its 1.6 million residents are refugees. Even though Gaza is small, it's a crucial part of Palestine and completely isolated from the West Bank. In 2006, Gaza held elections for the first time, and much of the world was shocked when Hamas, a group that the US and Europe classify as a terrorist organization, won. The Bush administration, who had championed elections in the Arab world, were obviously less than thrilled with this outcome. They began working to isolate new Hamas-controlled government. In addition to helping impose a blockade that cut off Hamas from the outside world, they equipped Hamas's rivals, Fatah, with a raft of new weapons and training in hopes that they would unseat Hamas from power. It didn't work. After a succession of assassinations, kidnappings, and street battles between Hamas and Fatah, Hamas took complete control of the Gaza Strip and, for the first time in its history, had to figure out how to run a government. MALE SPEAKER 4: [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE ON LOUDSPEAKER] In the days before we arrived, militant groups inside Gaza had been launching rockets into Israel, and the Israelis responded by launching attacks on what they called terror cells. When we got to our hotel, we could see Israeli drones flying around everywhere. Kind of screwed up our plan-- doing a story on Gaza without ever mentioning Israel. The constant buzzing of drones overhead made us super paranoid that anything place we went could be blown to bits. Like the Hamas government building where we met with the group's spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum. SUROOSH ALVI: Can you explain to me why there were rockets being launched into Israel and why Israel was bombing Gaza over the last few days? Why did the cease-fire break down? SUROOSH ALVI: Who attacked first? SUROOSH ALVI: Israel attacked? SUROOSH ALVI: Islamic Jihad is a group that-- it's more radical, I think, than Hamas. SUROOSH ALVI: The resistance against Israel is part of the fabric of everyday life in Gaza, so when a militant group like Al-Ansar decides to have a pop-up press conference in the middle of a busy street, nobody bats an eye, except for us. Holy ***. MALE SPEAKER 5: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: And like that, they were gone. It was a hell of a first day in the Gaza Strip. [HORN HONKING] SUROOSH ALVI: We're going on patrol with the Hamas police force. Apparently, there's some kind of fight going on. We're going to see who's kicking whose ***. After the 2007 battle with rival Palestinian faction, Fatah, Hamas came out on top, which meant most Fatah supporters got the hell out of Gaza. So we were surprised when the police rolled up to an entire Fatah neighborhood. We seem to be in Fatah-controlled territory right now. Their flags are flying everywhere. And I'm not sure why we're here or what the police are investigating. MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: What they seem to be investigating with this full-on show of force was a minor building code violation. MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Hamas has a reputation for imposing a strict rule of law. MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Even more so if you're a member of Fatah. So basically, Hamas was just harassing Fatah supporters. SAMAH AHMED: All Fatah members here in Gaza cannot to anything. The situation controlled by Hamas. She's the government and she's the security. She's everything. It's not easy to have your normal daily life with Hamas. If the security of Hamas came to any restaurant, any opening places, and find boys and girls sitting together, they start to ask about the kind of the relationship between you, if it's legal or not. Sometimes I feel that they occupied my mind. I didn't want to say that Fatah is the best. They have many faults. They do many mistakes. But at least they are better than Hamas. SUROOSH ALVI: Hamas viewed the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority in the West Bank as an inherently corrupt entity that failed to provide basic services for Gazans and looked the other way when it came to alcohol and drugs. Much of Hamas's popularity comes from the fact that they are seen as honest and incorruptible. And when they took power, they put a concerted effort into stomping out all forms of vice in Gaza. But the same tunnels that allow Hamas to smuggle in weapons from Egypt also allow for a steady flow of drugs. SAMAH AHMED: They're children working in the tunnel. They are 12, 13. They are smoking and taking drugs. Through the tunnels, many kind of drugs can enter to Gaza, because there is no control on the tunnels. SUROOSH ALVI: So because there's no control in the tunnels, Hamas are constantly doing drug raids around Gaza. MALE SPEAKER ON RADIO: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: And they round up all kinds of drugs in all shapes and sizes. SUROOSH ALVI: *** balls. MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: It's *** in perfectly formed triangles, which is odd. Lot of little bricks of hash and pills. SUROOSH ALVI: That's 100 grams? MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] MALE SPEAKER 7: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Now things like hash and *** are pretty standard for a drug raid. But the biggest drug problem in Gaza is Tramodol, or as it's called there, Tramol. Tramol is a prescription painkiller that has become the drug of choice for young people looking to escape the reality of life in Gaza. MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: And where is it all coming from? Is ti coming from Egypt? MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Through the tunnels? MALE SPEAKER 6: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: We decided to see if we could find some kids to talk to who might be using Tramol. Our fixer, Raed, said he knew just the place to go. RAED: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: We are now hunting for kids on drugs, and we figured a park is a good place to go. In my experience, parks are great places for *** kids to hang out. The psychological impact of living under occupation in a place that's sealed off is really heavy. They're poor, they don't have jobs, they've lost their family members to war. They're turning to drugs. They're numbing the pain. They're trying to find a way to escape, and the only way they can do that is through pharmaceuticals. We spotted some kids hanging out in the corner of the park and walked over to them. I let Raed do the talking. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Really? MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: They don't care. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: So according to these kids, Tramol became more popular after Hamas came to power, and its reach is still spreading, in spite of all the crackdowns and in spite of the harsh punishments suffered by people who got caught. People who we would be meeting the next day. [MUEZZIN GIVING CALL TO PRAYER OVER LOUDSPEAKER] SUROOSH ALVI: After seeing the Hamas police squad show off all the drugs they've confiscated in raids across the Gaza Strip, we wanted to see what happens to the people they catch. Gaza City's central prison is home to both drug smugglers and drug users. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: We read that drugs are a big problem. For the crime of smuggling drugs, or smoking hash, or adultery, what are the punishments? SUROOSH ALVI: And how do they execute people? They hang them? SUROOSH ALVI: Shooting. Wow. Heavy. SUROOSH ALVI: It's all drugs? And how many prisoners are in this room here? SUROOSH ALVI: 36? In this one room? SUROOSH ALVI: He's a good man? SUROOSH ALVI: Why does he like you so much? SUROOSH ALVI: Right, right. That's why he's being nice now. SUROOSH ALVI: How do you know that they will come back after Eid? SUROOSH ALVI: Put the whole family in jail. SUROOSH ALVI: Anyone ever escape from here? SUROOSH ALVI: OK. SUROOSH ALVI: How many women are in the prison? SUROOSH ALVI: That's all? SUROOSH ALVI: In all of Gaza? JAMILA AL-SHANTI: Yes. SUROOSH ALVI: And what are the crimes that they're in prison for? SUROOSH ALVI: Right. [MUEZZIN GIVING CALL TO PRAYER OVER LOUDSPEAKER] SUROOSH ALVI: Rather than letting us visit the women in their cells, the women's warden dragged the female prisoners out and put them on display for us in a room that they apparently use to make prisoner arts and crafts. [MEOW] SUROOSH ALVI: It's a bit of a PR show. They're giving them, you know, like warm clothes for the winter. Basically, it's-- it's odd. It's a bit weird. She's the boss. FEMALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: We weren't allowed to interview the women on camera, so we had Raed find out what these women had done to end up behind bars. This woman here is in jail for two years because she helped her son escape and get out of Gaza Strip illegally, to go to Israel or the West Bank. I'm not sure where he went. And she was smiling and was actually saying it with pride, which was interesting. The woman who had the little boy out of wedlock, she is in jail or six years for that crime. For having a kid illegitimately. SUROOSH ALVI: That's interesting. So basically what you're saying is that Hamas is very progressive when it comes to women's rights. SAMAH AHMED: Actually, it's a complicated life for the women and also for all the Palestinians. But especially for the women, the girls, you cannot do whatever you want. It's not easy, actually. SUROOSH ALVI: Just to be clear about this, women's rights now compared to five years ago, how is it different? SAMAH AHMED: The wife cannot go to the police station if she getting beated from her husband. Before, you can go to the police station. SUROOSH ALVI: Right. SAMAH AHMED: And the police station told the woman, just go and solve your problem with your husband. I wish that Hamas didn't win the election. I have many good memories with Hamas members. We have been like brothers and sisters. But when they get the power, they changed. Gaza became another country. It's not anymore a part of Palestine. SUROOSH ALVI: We're at the Hamas police station in Gaza City. These are unexploded bombs, and the police just told us that they found a bomb in Khan Yunis, a town nearby, and they've asked us if we want to go with them and watch them blow the bomb up. And we said yes. The bomb squad grounds were overflowing with tons of unexploded ordnance, including the infamous Qassam rocket, which was developed by the military arm of Hamas. MALE SPEAKER 8: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: We're looking at a Qassam rocket. It is made in a secret underground factory here in Gaza. It's not very accurate. It has a range of eight kilometers. Often not very effective. Some Palestinians think it's more trouble than it's worth. But it has created a lot of problems for Israel, and has them living in fear in the southern cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon. So these are all the unexploded bombs. Grenades in here. Mortar shells, a lot of them. Bit freaky in here. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Just as we were looking at all the weapons in the truck, everyone started freaking out and pointing up at the sky. It turned out that what we had witnessed was Israel's test of a new long-range missile capable of hitting Iran. We were happy it wasn't going to come down on our heads in Gaza, but it was a potent reminder of the strength of Israel's military. It feels like everyone was anticipating something to happen. Israel's been saying for the last couple days these cryptic, veiled threats. They're going to go in and solve this problem once and for all in Gaza. What does that mean? Now that we were all completely paranoid, we headed off into the desert with our truck full of bombs. We're riding along here behind a rolling bomb, essentially. The truck is full of unexploded ordnance. We have grenades, landmines, mortars, rockets. They're loose, bouncing around in the back of the truck. We're driving through crowded urban areas. We just passed a school. It doesn't seem like they're taking a lot of precautions, but it hasn't blown up yet. Come on, man. What are you doing? ***! No, that's good. I'm good. All right, you having fun now? You enjoying yourselves? We are on a former Israeli settlement. It's the only place in Gaza with enough open area where you can blow something up without someone getting killed or hurt. I can't help but point out the irony of blowing up Israeli bombs that were left here where Israeli settlers used to live. Makes us nervous. You know, like, I don't know that one of these things isn't going to go off. They're just dumping it off the truck, dropping things. Shouldn't they be exploding? All right. I-- I'm done. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: This is the final stage. We've left two cameras, one right by the pit of bombs and the other one up on the hill. Hopefully they don't get blown up. We're trying to convince George, our cameraman-- that's you-- to stay here and get a better shot. But he doesn't seem to be too into that. Our producer Jason courageously and/or stupidly volunteered to go film in the bunker. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Feels a little chaotic. Apparently, they're having some technical problems now. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: I'm more worried about Jason inside of that doghouse bunker that he's in. MALE SPEAKER 9: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: No? MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: They're telling us to get down. MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] [EXPLOSION] MALE SPEAKERS: [SPEAKING ARABIC] [SIREN] SUROOSH ALVI: Behind me is the crater. It was done successfully, although it took a while. It didn't detonate the first couple times. And as we were sitting around waiting, I thought about this morning when the Israelis launched a super high-tech missile And then meanwhile, 20 kilometers over. It's like a cartoon. Not particularly calculated and kind of chaotic. Maybe that sums up life in Gaza Strip. We're doing some shopping right now. Got some-- some swag. Al-Qassam. MALE SPEAKER 10: Yeah, Hamas. SUROOSH ALVI: Hamas Military Brigade. SUROOSH ALVI: Yeah, why? The drone? MALE SPEAKER 10: Yeah, of course. SUROOSH ALVI: Will it get me? SUROOSH ALVI: I'm not worried. I'm not wearing the right shirt, though. Like a button-down shirt with my Islamic Jihad headband? Doesn't really work. I'm going to keep it on. I'll go shopping with it. I'm kidding. All right, we'll take those also. Just as we were getting into the groove of things in Gaza and were starting to relax, we found out that the border crossing was closing unexpectedly. RAED: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Raed got on the phone to try and convince them to keep the crossing open long enough for us to get back into Egypt. We are trying to get to the border now, to Rafah crossing. If we don't make it there before noon, then we might be stuck in Gaza, in which case, we'll have to go through the tunnels. Samah decided to hitch a ride with us, hoping that she might slip through in the chaos. So if you get through today, that's a pretty big deal. Means that you're maybe not being targeted anymore, or--? RAED: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: In spite of Samah having a visa to travel to Germany, the Hamas border guards weren't having it. And we were rushed along without her, leaving her behind the walls of the Gaza Strip. RAED: [SPEAKING ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: After our first try to get into Gaza in 2007, it took us years to finally get in. In reality, if Israel hadn't made it so hard to get in in the first place, I don't think we would have been so curious about what was going on behind those walls. When we first arrived, we were really impressed by this kind of orderliness that you don't see in many places that are as poor as Gaza. But then as we began to realize that this was purely the result of Hamas's authoritarian approach to law and order, it began to creep us out. MALE SPEAKER 11: [ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: The Hamas government operates in an environment of paranoia that has them on guard not only against the outside world but against their brothers and sisters in Fatah and against ordinary Gazans, whose poverty, they fear, could tempt them into spying for Israel. What we have here is an authoritarian government operating within prison walls and under economic siege. It's like the set up for a Kurt Russell movie, except that it's real. But as we crossed into the chaos of post-revolution Egypt, part of me just wanted to turn around and go right back to Gaza. MALE SPEAKER 12: [SPEAKING ARABIC] JASON MOJICA: What do you want money for? MALE SPEAKER 12: [SPEAKING ARABIC] JASON MOJICA: Can we go? Go, go. [RAED AND MAN ARGUING IN ARABIC] SUROOSH ALVI: Can we drive the car now?