Hundreds of Palestinians protest against Hamas in Gaza

An unprecedented, spontaneous anti-Hamas march in Gaza demanded an end to the conflict with Israel and a return to peace. "The people want Hamas gone," "Hamas, terrorists," "Enough with the wars!" "We want our lives and our freedom back!" the protesters chanted.

Hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated on Tuesday (25.03.2025) in the northern Gaza Strip against the Islamist group Hamas, demanding that it relinquish power in the Palestinian enclave and an end to the war. "The people want Hamas gone" and "Enough wars!" were some of the slogans chanted by protesters marching through the streets of Beit Lahia.

Mohammed, a city resident who participated in the protest, said the unusual march was spontaneous and that participants expressed their frustration over the war with Israel.

"(The protesters) demanded an end to Hamas rule and expressed their desire to live in peace," the Palestinian said, adding that the city's residents criticized the lack of shelters in the face of Israeli attacks.

Witnesses indicated that most of the protesters were men. At least one call to protest circulated on the social media platform Telegram on Tuesday. "I don't know who organized the demonstration," said another man. "I participated to send a message to the people: 'Enough of the war!'" he added, claiming to have seen "civilian-clothed members of Hamas security forces dispersing the demonstration."

The people tired of the conflict

Majdi, another protester who did not want to give his last name, said that "people are tired" and asked: "If the solution is for Hamas to leave power in Gaza, why don't they do it to protect the people?" Many residents feared retaliation from Hamas, but they still took to the streets, exhausted by the conflict. The Islamic organization made no arrests during the protest.

The Israeli military resumed its bombardment of Gaza on March 18, following a nearly two-month truce in the war that began with an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Israeli offensive has devastated the Palestinian territory and has left at least 50,021 dead in Gaza to date, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian territory's Ministry of Health. To these must be added the thousands of people estimated to be trapped under the rubble of completely destroyed towns.