An Israeli airstrike on Monday night tore through a building in central Beit Lahia, escalating tensions in Gaza’s northernmost farming community, already shaken by an Israeli evacuation order earlier that day. These events have stirred rare anti-Hamas demonstrations across the enclave, with hundreds of residents marching for three consecutive days, demanding an end to both the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict and Hamas’s 18-year reign. “Hamas needs to go away,” asserted Ahmad al-Masri, 26, a local resident and protest leader, adding that continued rule by Hamas only breeds further bloodshed and destruction.
While these protests are relatively small, they signify the most significant challenge to Hamas’s authority in Gaza since its attack on Israel in October 2023, which led to the current conflict. This unrest reflects the deep frustrations of Palestinians once again subjected to intense bombings, after a cease-fire failed to materialize between Israel and Hamas. Demonstrators are increasingly willing to overlook the risk of reprisal by Hamas, known for its oppressive governance. “We don’t have anything to lose,” al-Masri stated. “We have already lost our lives, homes, and money.”
Hamas’s historical response to dissent has been harsh, curbing any protest against Gaza’s dire living conditions with strict enforcement and reconnaissance. However, recent demonstrations have seen limited intervention from Hamas’s internal security forces, which analysts interpret as a sign of Hamas’s precarious position in Gaza and diminished capability to deploy security under frequent Israeli airstrikes. “How can it confront this movement? With force? That would cause even greater anger,” explained Akram Atallah, a Palestinian analyst from Jabaliya.
Despite these dynamics, Hamas operatives on Thursday prevented media coverage of a large protest in Beit Lahia. Allegations have surfaced on social media, led by some Hamas supporters, suggesting the protests serve foreign agendas, though no evidence has been presented. The initial protest was spurred by a community call to action, issued shortly after an Israeli military spokesman’s evacuation order and subsequent airstrike. Residents shared messages urging participation with slogans like “Enough of wars. We want to live in peace.”
The Israeli military has maintained that its operations target Hamas’s military capabilities, citing its long-standing accusation that Hamas operates within civilian areas. Protestors hope to push Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, thereby disarming Israel’s justification for continued aggression. Sharif al-Buheisi, 56, an activist with Hamas’s rival faction, Fatah, emphasized, “We can’t accept that all of us should die for them to stay in power.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue military operations until Hamas’s military and governance structures are dismantled, while Hamas offers only to cede control over civilian administration, not its military armament. Al-Buheisi and other protestors aim to dispel the notion among some Israelis that all Gazans support Hamas and its militant activities. “We’re affirming that we are a people that love life and our children,” he articulated.
These demonstrations have garnered support from local mukhtars, influential community leaders, reflecting broad-based discontent with current conditions. After securing the endorsement of these leaders, young activists like al-Masri and Hassan Saad galvanized more community members to join the protests. “We’re saying we want to live in dignity,” asserted Hisham al-Birawi, a mukhtar in Beit Lahia. Despite the challenges, the collective voice from Gaza aims for a future of peace and dignity.
Original Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/world/middleeast/gaza-hamas-protests.html
Category : Gaza Strip,Hamas,Israel-Gaza War (2023- ),Israel,War and Armed Conflicts,Demonstrations, Protests and Riots
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Publish Date: 2025-03-28 01:30:00
