Hundreds of Palestinians have participated in protests in northern Gaza, demanding an end to the ongoing war with Israel and calling for the removal of Hamas from power.
The demonstration, described as the largest of its kind in Gaza since the October 7 attacks, took place in Beit Lahia, a town in the northern part of the Strip following the resumption of Israeli airstrikes after a two-month ceasefire.
Videos shared on social media showed crowds chanting slogans such as “Hamas out” and “Hamas terrorists” as they gathered near the Indonesia hospital in northern Gaza.
Some protesters carried banners that read “Stop the war”, “We want to live in peace” and “We refuse to die” calling for an end to the violence that has devastated the region.
One participant, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP: “I don’t know who organised the protest. I took part to send a message on behalf of the people: Enough with the war.”
A man carries a sign reading in Arabic: "We refuse to die" during a rally calling for an end to the war (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
He added that members of the Hamas security forces had attempted to break up the protest while dressed in civilian clothing. Another protester, identified only as Majdi, stated that the people of Gaza are “tired” of conflict, asking: “If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn’t Hamas give up power to protect the people?”
Other demonstrations were also reported in the Jabalia refugee camp, located in the western part of Gaza City, where demonstrators burned tyres and called for an end to the conflict, chanting: “We want to eat.”
The IDF has already confirmed that it is planning a fresh ground operation in the Jabalia area following rockets being fired into Israel from the Strip, with residents ordered to evacuate.
While protests in Gaza are rare, especially under Hamas's strict rule since 2007, some residents of the territory have expressed hope that these demonstrations could inspire further mobilisations against the militant group.
Since Hamas’s attack on Israel, there have been sporadic protests demanding an end to the war, with many slogans echoing the Bidna N’eesh (‘We Want to Live’) movement that emerged during Gaza’s 2019 economic protests.
The protests emerged out of frustration with the Strip’s dire economic conditions, including high unemployment, poverty, and a lack of basic services.
Those protests were violently suppressed by Hamas, which accused its political rival, Fatah, of orchestrating the demonstrations.
