In an unprecedented event, thousands of Palestinians have marched in recent days in the Gaza Strip to protest against the war, and many have also chanted slogans against Hamas, in a rare display of public anger against the militant group.
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The protests, mainly focused in northern Gaza, call for an end to the 17 months of deadly clashes with Israel that have made life in Gaza unbearable.
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But the protesters also directed unusually direct and public criticism against Hamas, which in the past has violently repressed dissent in Gaza, a territory it still governs several months after the start of the war with Israel.
Where were the protests registered?
In the city of Beit Lahiya, where protests were held on Tuesday and Wednesday, about 3,000 people demonstrated, many chanting: “The people want the fall of Hamas.” In the battered neighborhood of Shijaiyah, in Gaza City, dozens of men were shouting: “Out, out, out! Hamas, go away!”
“Our children have been killed. Our homes destroyed,” said Abed Radwan, who claimed to have joined the protest in Beit Lahiya “against the war, against Hamas, against the Palestinian political factions, against Israel, and against the silence of the world.”
Ammar Hassan, who participated in a protest on Tuesday, said it started as a demonstration against the war with a few dozen people, but soon grew to over 2,000, many of them chanting against Hamas.
“It is the only actor that we can have some effect on,” he said. “Protests will not stop the (Israeli) occupation, but they can influence Hamas.”
The militant group has violently suppressed previous protests, but this time there was no direct intervention, perhaps because Hamas has maintained a low profile since Israel resumed the war against them.
Hamas senior official Bassem Naim wrote on Facebook that people had the right to protest, but their focus should be on the “criminal aggressor,” Israel.
The protest is against “everyone”
Elders from Beit Lahiya expressed their support for the protests against the renewed Israeli offensive and the tightening of the blockade that prevents supplies from entering Gaza. In their statement, they affirmed that the community fully supports armed resistance against Israel.
“The protest was not about politics. It was about people’s lives,” said Mohammed Abu Saker, a father of three from the nearby village of Beit Hanoun, who joined the demonstration on Tuesday.
“We want to stop the killing and displacement, no matter the cost. We cannot stop Israel from killing us, but we can pressure Hamas to make concessions,” he stated.
A similar protest occurred on Tuesday in Jabaliya, an area also heavily destroyed, according to witnesses.
A protester in Jabaliya, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said they chanted slogans against Israel, Hamas, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, and Arab mediators. They said there were no Hamas security forces at the protest, but clashes occurred between supporters and opponents of the group.
Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, urged the Palestinians to join the protests. “You should also demand the removal of Hamas from Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. That is the only way to stop the war,” he stated.
A 19-year-old Palestinian, who also spoke anonymously for fear of reprisals, said that his family has been displaced multiple times since their house was destroyed. “People are angry with everyone”, including the United States, Israel, and Hamas, he said, adding: “We want Hamas to resolve this situation, release the hostages, and put an end to all of this.”
Since when has Hamas been in control of Gaza?
Hamas won by a large majority the last Palestinian elections, held in 2006. The following year, it took power in Gaza from the Palestinian National Authority, backed by the West and dominated by the secular movement Fatah, after months of internal clashes and a week of intense street fighting.
Human rights organizations claim that both the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas violently suppress dissent, stifling protests in the areas they control and imprisoning and torturing critics.
Protests erupted a week after Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise wave of attacks that have killed hundreds of people. Earlier this month, Israel halted the delivery of food, fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid to the approximately 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has promised to intensify the war until Hamas releases the 59 hostages it still holds, 24 of whom are believed to still be alive. It also demands that the group relinquish power, disarm, and exile its leaders.