Hundreds of people have taken part in the largest anti-Hamas protest in Gaza since the war with Israel began, taking to the streets to demand the group step down from power.
The protesters were forcibly dispersed by masked
Hamas militants, some of whom were armed with guns and others with batons, and
several of them were assaulted. Videos shared widely on social media by
activists typically critical of Hamas showed young men marching in the streets
of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on Tuesday, chanting, "Out, out, out, Hamas
out."
Although Hamas stated on Wednesday blaming
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for restarting the war, it has not
provided any specific comments regarding the protest. Pro-Hamas supporters
downplayed the significance of the protests and accused the participants of
being traitors.
The protests in northern Gaza came a day after
Islamic Jihad gunmen launched rockets at Israel, prompting an Israeli decision
to evacuate large parts of Beit Lahia, which sparked public anger in the area.
Israel has resumed its military campaign in Gaza
following nearly two months of ceasefire, blaming Hamas for rejecting a new US
proposal to extend the truce. Israel, on the other hand, has been accused by
Hamas of abandoning the initial January agreement. Hundreds of Palestinians
have been killed and thousands displaced since Israeli military operations
resumed with airstrikes on 18 March.
Mohammed Diab, a resident of Beit Lahia, was one
of the protesters. He lost his brother in an Israeli airstrike a year ago and
had his house destroyed during the war. "We refuse to die for anyone, for
any party's agenda, or the interests of foreign states," he said.
"Hamas must step down and listen to the
voice of the grieving, the voice that rises from beneath the rubble—it is the
most truthful voice."
Footage from the town also showed protesters
shouting, "Down with Hamas rule, down with the Muslim Brotherhood
rule."
Hamas has been the sole ruler in Gaza since 2007,
after winning Palestinian elections a year prior and then violently ousting
rivals.
Open criticism of Hamas has grown in Gaza since
the war began, both on the streets and online, though there are still those who
are fiercely loyal, and it is hard to accurately gauge how far support for the
group has shifted.
There was opposition to Hamas long before the
war, though much of it remained hidden for fear of reprisals.
Mohammed Al-Najjar, from Gaza, posted on his
Facebook: "Excuse me, but what exactly is Hamas betting on? They're
betting on our blood, blood that the whole world sees as just numbers.
"Even Hamas counts us as numbers. Step down
and let us tend to our wounds."
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's attack
on Israel on 7 October 2023, during which around 1,200 people, mainly
civilians, were killed and 251 others taken hostage.
Israel responded to the attack with a military
offensive in Gaza to destroy Hamas, which has killed more than 50,000
Palestinians, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
Most of Gaza's 2.1 million population has also
been displaced, many of them several times.
An estimated 70% of buildings have been damaged
or destroyed in Gaza, healthcare, water, and sanitation systems have collapsed,
and there are shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter.
