In the biggest anti-Hamas protest in Gaza since the outbreak of war with Israel, hundreds of protesters rallied, calling on the militant movement to step aside.
Masked Hamas militants, some of them armed and others carrying batons, quickly intervened, using force to disperse the protesters and attacking several of the participants.
Videos extensively shared on social media by Hamas critics captured young men marching through the streets of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Tuesday, chanting, "Out, out, out, Hamas out."
The Hamas movement brushed off the protests, claiming the protesters were working "suspicious political agendas" and trying to divert attention from Israel.
Pro-Hamas sympathizers, meanwhile, tried to play down the size of the protests, calling the protesters traitors.
The unrest in northern Gaza came after Islamic Jihad had attacked Israel by rocket a day before, which had prompted an evacuation order of substantial portions of Beit Lahia from Israel, infuriating the public in the area.
Israel has revived its military campaign in Gaza after almost two months of cease fire, blaming Hamas for its rejection of a U.S.-supported plan to lengthen the truce. Hamas has charged Israel with backtracking on the initial agreement reached in January.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed, and thousands displaced since airstrikes resumed on March 18.
One of the protesters, Mohammed Diab, who is a Beit Lahia resident, had his brother killed in an Israeli bombing last year, and his house was recently demolished in the fighting.
"We will not die for anyone, for any political group or for foreign powers," he shouted.
"Hamas should stand aside and hear the voice of the mourners, the voice from under the ruins—they tell the truth.
Video of the protest also showed protesters chanting, "Down with Hamas rule, down with Muslim Brotherhood rule."
Hamas has been in control of Gaza since 2007, after winning the Palestinian elections the year before and then expelling its political opponents by force.
Since the conflict started, public criticism of Hamas has increased in Gaza, both online and in street protests. Yet measuring the magnitude of the change in the mood is still tricky, as a lot of people remain fiercely loyal to the organization, and opposition in the past was always quashed by fear of persecution.
Mohammed Al-Najjar, who lives in Gaza, expressed his anger on Facebook:
“Excuse me, but what exactly is Hamas betting on? They gamble with our blood, and the world reduces us to mere numbers. Even Hamas sees us as statistics. Step down and let us heal.”
Hamas leader Dr. Basem Naim said to the BBC that although individuals do have the right "to cry out in pain," he charged the protesters with having "suspicious motives" and wondered why the protests were not being held in the West Bank as well.
He maintained that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must not be used to "divert blame" away from Israel.
Gaza war broke out after Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, where around 1,200 were killed—almost all civilians—and 251 people were taken as hostages.
As a response, Israel initiated an offensive military attack with the target of disestablishing Hamas. Israeli operations, as per the Hamas-controlled health ministry, have already killed more than 50,000 Palestinians.
The majority of Gaza's 2.1 million people have been displaced—some repeatedly—and the infrastructure of the area has been critically damaged. Almost 70% of structures have been destroyed or damaged, healthcare and sanitation infrastructure have collapsed, and shortages of food, fuel, medication, and housing have escalated the humanitarian crisis.
Read also| Russia Rules Out Immediate Putin-Trump Talks but Keeps Door Open
