Israel-Gaza war: Second day of Palestinian anti-Hamas demonstrations reported in Gaza Strip

Hundreds of Palestinians have protested in the north of the Gaza Strip to demand an end to war, chanting “Hamas out,” social media posts showed, in a rare public show of opposition to the militant group that sparked the latest war with its October 7, 2023 raid on Israel.

The enclave’s north has been one of the most devastated areas of the Gaza Strip.

Most buildings in the densely populated area have been reduced to rubble and much of the population has moved several times to escape the conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to say the protest showed Israel’s decision to renew its offensive was working in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas police - the group’s enforcers - have once again disappeared after emerging during a ceasefire.

“Out, out, out, Hamas get out,” chanted those seen in one of the posts published on X, apparently from the Beit Lahiya region of the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.

It showed people marching down a dusty street between war-damaged buildings.

“It was a spontaneous rally against the war because people are tired and they have no place to go,” said one witness, who spoke on condition that his name not be used for fear of retribution.

“Many chanted slogans against Hamas, not all people but many, saying ‘Out Hamas’. People are exhausted and no one should blame them,” he said.

The posts began circulating widely late on Tuesday.

Reuters was able to confirm the location of the video by buildings, utility poles and road layout that matches satellite imagery of the area.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the date of the video.

However, several videos and photographs shared on social media showed protests in the area on March 25.

Social media activists circulated a video they said was of a protest by hundreds of people in Shejaia, a suburb of Gaza City, on Wednesday, calling for the dismissal of Hamas, indicating the anti-Hamas protests may be spreading.

Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the video.

The Associated Press reported it was the second day of anti-war protests in the town of Beit Lahiya, with many chanting “the people want the fall of Hamas”.

“Our children have been killed. Our houses have been destroyed,” said Abed Radwan, who said he joined the protest in Beit Lahiya “against the war, against Hamas, and the (Palestinian political) factions, against Israel and against the world’s silence.”

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said people had the right to protest at the suffering inflicted by the war, but he denounced what he said were “suspicious political agendas” exploiting the situation.

“Where are they from? What is happening in the West Bank?” he said.

“Why don’t they protest against the aggression there or allow people to take to the streets to denounce this aggression?”

The comments, reflecting tensions among Palestinian factions over the future of the Gaza Strip, came several hours after the rival Fatah movement called on Hamas to “respond to the call of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip”.

Fatah leads the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the occupied West Bank.

“You too should demand the removal of Hamas from Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. That is the only way to stop the war,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.

One Palestinian who protested on Tuesday told AP they regretted participating because of Israeli media coverage, which emphasised the opposition to Hamas.

The protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said they joined the demonstration in the heavily destroyed northern town of Jabaliya because “everyone failed us”.

They said they chanted against Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and Arab mediators.

They said there were no Hamas security forces at the protest but scuffles broke out between supporters and opponents of the group.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli campaign in Gaza, Palestinian officials say.

It was launched after thousands of Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and abducting 251 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Much of the narrow coastal enclave has been reduced to rubble, leaving hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in tents or bombed-out buildings.

with AP