Hamas operatives violently dispersed protesters as Gaza residents demand the group step down
For the first time since the war began, fury against Hamas has boiled over in Gaza, with hundreds taking to the streets of Beit Lahia in open defiance. Protesters chanted “Out, out, out, Hamas out!” before masked militants descended on them, attacking demonstrators with guns and batons. The brutal crackdown underscored Hamas’s iron grip over the region, as rare public dissent was met with immediate and violent suppression.
Footage of the protest, widely circulated online, showed young men marching and shouting slogans denouncing Hamas and its rule. Some even targeted the group’s ideological roots, chanting, “Down with the Muslim Brotherhood rule!”—a striking rejection of the Islamist organisation that has controlled Gaza since 2007.
Tensions Explode After Evacuations & Escalating War Casualties
The unrest erupted a day after Islamic Jihad fighters launched rockets at Israel, triggering a retaliatory Israeli evacuation order for large parts of Beit Lahia. Already displaced multiple times, furious residents blamed Hamas for prolonging their suffering.
Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on 18 March, ending a fragile ceasefire after Hamas allegedly rejected a US-backed truce proposal. The Palestinian group, in turn, accused Israel of abandoning a previous agreement from January. As the airstrikes resumed, hundreds more Palestinians were killed, and thousands were left without homes.
Mohammed Diab, a Beit Lahia resident who lost his brother to an Israeli airstrike last year, joined the protest, demanding Hamas step down. “We refuse to die for anyone, for any party’s agenda or the interests of foreign states,” he said. “The voice of the grieving, rising from beneath the rubble, is the most truthful voice.”
Hamas Faces Growing Backlash as War Devastates Gaza
Hamas has maintained an unchallenged grip over Gaza for nearly two decades, winning elections in 2006 before violently ousting its political rivals. However, frustration has been building for years, largely silenced by fear of violent retaliation.
Now, anger is breaking through. Online, more Gazans are voicing dissent despite the risks. One resident, Mohammed Al-Najjar, took to Facebook to post: “What exactly is Hamas betting on? They’re betting on our blood—blood that the whole world sees as just numbers. Even Hamas counts us as numbers. Step down and let us tend to our wounds.”
Despite this growing frustration, Hamas’s loyalists dismiss the protests as insignificant, branding demonstrators as traitors. The group has not yet officially responded to the Beit Lahia uprising.
War’s Toll: A City in Ruins
The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which left 1,200 dead and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel responded with a military offensive aimed at dismantling Hamas, and the consequences have been devastating.
The Hamas-run health ministry reports over 50,000 Palestinians killed. Most of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents have been displaced, many multiple times. An estimated 70% of buildings are damaged or destroyed, while essential infrastructure—healthcare, water, and sanitation—has collapsed. Food, fuel, and medicine remain in critically short supply.
Despite these conditions, Hamas continues to rule. But as protests grow and anger intensifies, the cracks in its control are becoming harder to ignore.
