Demanding that Hamas give up power, hundreds of Palestinians staged the biggest anti-Hamas protests in Gaza since the start of the conflict with Israel. As tensions increased, protesters marched in northern Gaza Beit Lahia on Tuesday.
The protests followed an Israeli evacuation order for large parts of Beit Lahia after Islamic Jihad gunmen launched rockets at Israel. This move sparked public outrage as residents blamed Hamas for the escalation and resulting displacement.
Hamas militants moved swiftly to break up the protest by using force. Several protesters were injured when masked men brandishing weapons and batons attacked them. Pro-Hamas supporters backed the protests and called participants traitors, while anti-Hamas activists posted videos of young men marching.
Israel resumed military operations on March 18, accusing Hamas of rejecting a US truce proposal. Hamas, however, blames Israel for abandoning January’s agreement. Mohammed Diab, a Beit Lahia resident who lost his home and brother in the war, voiced his frustration during the protest.
Footage from the protest showed protectors chanting against Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, signalling growing dissent. Critics like Gaza resident Mohammed Al-Najjar took to social media to express frustration. Al-Najjar questioned Hamas’s motives, accusing the group of exploiting civilians and calling for leadership change.
Since the war began on October 7, triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel, over 50,000 Palestinians have died, and most of Gaza’s population has been displaced. The conflict has left Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins, causing severe shortages of essential resources and collapsing public services.
