Gaza sees rare mass protest against Hamas and ongoing war
Demonstrations follow collapse of ceasefire as humanitarian conditions worsen and criticism of Hamas intensifies
Hundreds of Palestinians protested against Hamas rule and the ongoing war in Gaza, in what is believed to be the largest public demonstration against the terror group since the 7 October attacks.
Protestors gathered in at least three locations across the Strip, including Beit Lahia, the Jabalia refugee camp and Khan Younis.
Demonstrators carried handwritten signs reading “Stop war” and “Children in Palestine want to live,” while others chanted slogans such as “Hamas out” and “We want to eat.” Some carried white flags or burnt tyres.
The gatherings came days after Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on 18 March, following the breakdown of a two-month ceasefire. The renewed offensive targeted Hamas strongholds in the north, including areas near the Indonesian Hospital, where some of the protests took place.
In a message circulated on social media ahead of the demonstrations, organisers urged civilians to “let them hear your voice” and claimed protests would spread across nine locations in Gaza on Wednesday.
Hamas has not issued an official response. Media outlets affiliated with the group reported on the demonstrations under the headline of “protests to stop the war,” omitting anti-Hamas messaging.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it resumed strikes after the breakdown of a ceasefire, citing Hamas’s ongoing attacks and failure to release the remaining Israeli hostages. It also reiterated that Hamas operates from within civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, hospitals and mosques.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war. These figures are not independently verified and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The IDF said in January it had killed approximately 20,000 Hamas fighters in Gaza, in addition to 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the 7 October massacre.
UN agencies have raised alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. On Sunday, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned that no food, water, medicine or fuel had entered Gaza in more than three weeks, stating: “Every day without food inches Gaza closer to an acute hunger crisis.”
Israel has accused Hamas of stealing humanitarian aid to support its military efforts, an allegation the group denies.
While anti-Hamas sentiment has been voiced sporadically since the conflict began, Tuesday’s protests mark the first widespread, public challenge to the group’s authority since the war erupted. Public dissent in Gaza is typically met with repression, and protests are rare under Hamas’s rule, which began after its takeover of the Strip in 2007.
The last known anti-Hamas protests of a similar nature took place in January 2024 in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
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