In a rare protest against Hamas, Palestinians protested against the militant group, urging that the war be stopped. The protests have come after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes, killing hundreds of Palestinians. Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns the remaining hostages.
In what comes as a rare development in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians chanted against Hamas during an anti-war protest. The rare show of public anger against the militant group comes as it is accused of suppressing dissent while it continues to rule the territory 17 months into the war with Israel. People held signs which said, “Stop the war,” “We refuse to die,” and “The blood of our children is not cheap.” Some of the Palestinian protesters could be heard chanting, “Hamas out!”
Here’s what Palestinians say about the war
“We are sick of the bombing, killing and displacement,” Ammar Hassan, a young man from Beit Lahiya, who took part in the protest. He said it started as an anti-war protest with just a few dozen people but then swelled to more than 2,000, with people chanting against Hamas.
The protest against Hamas has come after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes following an end to the ceasefire, killing hundreds of Palestinians.
Earlier this month, Israel stopped the deliveries of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to roughly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Moreover, Israel has vowed to continue the war until Hamas returns the 59 hostages it still holds. Notably, 24 of the hostages are believed to be alive. Israel also seeks for Hamas to give up its power, disarm and send its leaders into exile.
In its response, Hamas said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
How was the war triggered?
The war was triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Hamas has said only a handful of its top commanders knew about the attack ahead of time.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 50,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants.