Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets in northern Gaza to call for an end to the war in the city, chanting slogans against Hamas.
Reuters reported that the demonstrators, who appear to be frustrated over the militant group’s role in the conflict with Israel, were heard shouting “Hamas out” in Beit Lahiya.
Northern Gaza has suffered severe destruction, with most buildings reduced to rubble and residents repeatedly displaced due to the war.
Hamas was behind the October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli citizens that triggered the conflict.
Reacting to the protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was proof that Israel’s renewed offensive was working.
A witness, who spoke anonymously to Reuters for fear of retribution, described the protests as a spontaneous reaction to the dire conditions in Gaza. “People are tired; they have nowhere to go,” he said.
The videos, widely shared online on March 25, were verified by Reuters using satellite imagery, though the exact timing of the protests remains unconfirmed.
Additional footage allegedly showed another protest in Shejaia, a suburb of Gaza City, the following day.
Hamas official Basem Naim acknowledged the people’s right to protest but dismissed what he described as “suspicious political agendas” behind the demonstrations.
He questioned why similar protests were not taking place in the West Bank against Israeli actions there.
Also reacting to the protests, the rival Fatah movement, which controls the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, urged Hamas to heed the demands of the people in Gaza.
The war, which began after Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages in the October 7 attack, has resulted in more than 50,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israel’s relentless military campaign has left much of Gaza in ruins, displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the area.
After a temporary ceasefire in January, many returned to their devastated homes in northern Gaza.
However, Israel has now issued new evacuation orders, forcing people to flee once again.
“All of Gaza is in ruins, and now we are being told to leave the north again. Where can we go?” one protester who spoke to Reuters asked.
Since Israel resumed its offensive, nearly 700 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, Palestinian health officials report.
Hamas, which had deployed thousands of police and security personnel during the ceasefire, has largely withdrawn from public view to evade Israeli airstrikes.
