Hundreds stage Gaza protest against Hamas, call for end to war with Israel

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 9:41 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Hundreds of Palestinians person protested successful northern Gaza to request an extremity to war and chanting "Hamas out," societal media posts showed, successful a uncommon nationalist amusement of absorption to the militant radical that sparked the latest warfare with its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Northern Gaza has been 1 of the astir devastated areas of the enclave since the struggle began. Most buildings successful the densely populated country person been reduced to rubble and overmuch of the colonisation has moved respective times.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speedy to accidental the protestation showed Israel's determination to renew its violative was moving in Gaza, wherever Hamas constabulary — the group's enforcers — person erstwhile again disappeared aft emerging during a ceasefire.

"Out, out, out, Hamas get out," chanted those seen successful 1 of the posts published connected X, seemingly from the Beit Lahiya portion of Gaza connected Tuesday. It showed radical marching down a dusty thoroughfare betwixt war-damaged buildings.

"It was a spontaneous rally against the warfare due to the fact that radical are bushed and they person nary spot to go," said 1 witness, who spoke connected information that his sanction not beryllium utilized for fearfulness of retribution.

"Many chanted slogans against Hamas, not each radical but many, saying 'Out Hamas.' People are exhausted and nary 1 should blasted them," helium said.

The posts began circulating wide precocious connected Tuesday. Reuters was capable to corroborate the determination of the video by buildings, inferior poles and roadworthy layout that matches outer imagery of the area. Reuters was not capable to independently verify the day of the video. However, respective videos and photographs shared connected societal media showed protests successful the country connected Tuesday.

In different posts, 1 of the banners held by the assemblage work "Enough wars," portion radical chanted: "We don't privation war."

'Suspicious governmental agendas,' Hamas says

Senior Hamas authoritative Basem Naim said radical had the close to protestation astatine the suffering inflicted by the war, but helium denounced what helium said were "suspicious governmental agendas" exploiting the situation.

"Where are they from, what is happening successful the West Bank?" helium said. "Why don't they protestation against the aggression determination oregon let radical to instrumentality to the streets to denounce this aggression?"

The comments, reflecting tensions among Palestinian factions implicit the aboriginal of Gaza, came respective hours aft the rival Fatah question called connected Hamas to "respond to the telephone of the Palestinian radical successful the Gaza Strip." Fatah leads the Palestinian Authority successful the occupied West Bank.

More than 50,000 Palestinians person been killed by the Israeli run in Gaza, launched aft Hamas-led gunmen attacked communities successful confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting 1,200 radical and abducting 251 arsenic hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Much of the constrictive coastal enclave has been reduced to rubble, leaving hundreds of thousands of radical sheltering successful tents oregon bombed-out buildings.

Netanyahu says Israeli argumentation working

Hundreds of thousands of residents who had fled to the southbound of Gaza earlier successful the warfare returned to their ruined homes successful the northbound aft a ceasefire took effect in January.

Now, Israeli evacuation orders aft the state relaunched its violative connected March 18 person shattered the two-month truce, during which Hamas handed implicit much hostages successful speech for Palestinian prisoners and detainees successful Israeli jails.

"All Gaza is successful ruins and present the concern ordered america to permission the northbound again, wherever to go?" the witnesser astatine the protests said.

Netanyahu said the protests showed Israel's argumentation was working.

"In caller days, we person seen thing unprecedented — unfastened protests in Gaza against Hamas rule. This shows that our argumentation is working. We are determined to execute each of our warfare objectives," Netanyahu said during a code successful parliament.

WATCH | Two journalists among 65 radical killed successful Israeli airstrikes successful Gaza over 24 hours: 

Since Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza, saying its extremity was to wholly dismantle Hamas, astir 700 people, mostly women and children, person been killed, according to Palestinian wellness officials.

Hamas deployed thousands of constabulary and information forces across Gaza after the ceasefire took effect successful January, but its equipped beingness has sharply retracted since March 18 erstwhile Israel's large attacks resumed. Fewer constabulary were contiguous successful immoderate areas, portion members and leaders of the equipped helping went disconnected the radar to debar Israeli airstrikes.

While authoritative contacts aimed astatine getting the ceasefire process backmost connected way person continued, determination has been small motion of a breakthrough implicit cardinal issues including the aboriginal governance of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas took power of Gaza in 2007 successful elections that swept retired the Fatah radical of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It has ruled the enclave since then, offering small abstraction for opposition. Some Palestinians dependable caution astir speaking retired against the radical publically for fearfulness of retribution.

The 2 movements person been astatine likelihood for years and person failed to span differences implicit the postwar aboriginal of Gaza, which the Palestinian Authority says indispensable travel nether its authority.

Hamas, portion expressing readiness to measurement backmost from an progressive portion successful government, says it indispensable beryllium progressive successful selecting immoderate medication comes next.