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The National
27-03-2025
- Politics
- The National
Gaza protest puts the ball firmly in Hamas's court
In a rare but significant display of defiance against Hamas inside Gaza, hundreds of war-weary Palestinians marched through the bombed-out ruins of the northern part of the strip this week. One voice among the protesters cut to the heart of the matter. Majdi, a demonstrator who did not wish to give his full name, asked: "If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn't Hamas give up power to protect the people?" It was an incisive question that puts the ball firmly in Hamas's court. Is the group's priority its own political and military survival while locking Gaza's people into an apocalyptic conflict with Israel, or is it the building of the future of the Palestinian nation? Its actions thus far, including building tunnels and shelters for its fighters but not Gaza's civilians, point to the former. The result of Hamas's wild gamble in attacking Israel on October 7, with no way to defend Gaza from the inevitable Israeli onslaught, can been seen in the group's waning popularity. This is not the first time that Palestinians in Gaza have publicly hit out at the militants – three months before October 7, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza city, Khan Younis and other areas took to the streets, angry at the Hamas government over chronic power cuts and a lack of fuel. Even during the conflict with Israel, dissenting voices among Gaza's people spoke out, furious with the group for its ruinous war strategy. The results of a public opinion poll published by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Research in September found that although Hamas still has the highest support of all Palestinian factions in Gaza, there had been a fall in backing for the group's postwar control over the enclave and a rise in support for a Palestinian Authority-led administration. The poll also found a drop in support for armed struggle and more backing for negotiations to end the Israeli occupation. It is a far cry from the enthusiasm that greeted the militants when they took charge of Gaza back in 2007, ousting the Fatah-led PA whose weak governance and reported corruption had frustrated and angered the enclave's people. Importantly, this week's protest also undermines the dangerous Israeli narrative that all Palestinians in Gaza are aligned with Hamas. This assumption has been used to justify a military response to October 7 that long ago became a campaign of collective punishment. Given the Israeli state's history in encouraging the militants' rise as a counterweight to the Palestine Liberation Organisation, there is a painful irony in its mischaracterisation of all Gazans being part of the Hamas machine. In reality, Palestinians are held hostage by their circumstances. Those in Gaza live under the rule of Hamas, an organisation that brooks little dissent. In the West Bank, Palestinians are represented by an ailing PA that has not held elections in nearly 20 years. More than nine million Palestinians live in exile as refugees, with limited control over their destinies. That these are the results of a decades-long Israeli occupation does not take away from the fact that Palestinians deserve a better future from those who purport to fight in their name.
Nahar Net
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Anti-Hamas slogans chanted at hundreds-strong protest in Gaza
by Naharnet Newsdesk 26 March 2025, 11:11 Hundreds of Palestinians have shouted anti-Hamas slogans at a protest in northern Gaza calling for an end to the war with Israel, witnesses said. The mostly male demonstrators chanted "Hamas out" and "Hamas terrorists" in Beit Lahia, where the crowd had gathered a week after the Israeli army resumed its intense bombing of Gaza following nearly two months of a truce. On the social media network Telegram, at least one appeal to protest had circulated on Tuesday. "I don't know who organized the protest," said Mohammed, a demonstrator who declined to give his last name for fear of reprisals. "I took part to send a message on behalf of the people: Enough with the war," he said, adding that he had seen "members of the Hamas security forces in civilian clothing breaking up the protest". Majdi, another protester who did not wish to give his full name, said the "people are tired". "If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn't Hamas give up power to protect the people?" he asked. As of Tuesday evening, Telegram messages from unknown sources were calling on people to reprise the demonstration in various parts of Gaza on Wednesday. - 'Step aside' - Israel regularly calls for Gazans to mobilize against the Islamist movement that has been in power in the territory since 2007. Levels of discontent towards Hamas in Gaza are difficult to gauge. The last available survey was conducted in September by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR). It estimated that 35 percent of Palestinians in Gaza said they supported Hamas, and 26 percent said they supported its rival Fatah, the party of Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas. Fatah's spokesman in Gaza, Monther al-Hayek, called on Hamas Saturday to "step aside from governing" to safeguard the "existence" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip has been devastated by more than 17 months of war between Israel and Hamas, with the humanitarian situation again deteriorating after Israel blocked the passage of aid into the territory on March 2 in an attempt to force the militants to release Israeli hostages. Since Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza, at least 792 Palestinians have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The war was sparked by the militant group's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 50,021 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry.
Middle East Eye
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Palestinians in north Gaza rally to demand an end to Israel's war
Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoon and Jabalia on Tuesday to demand an end to Israel's attacks and blockade on Gaza, according to the Wafa news agency. They held up placards that said, 'We refuse to die,' 'The blood of our children is not cheap,' and 'Stop the war,' Wafa reported. 'Enough displacement. We want to live! The siege is severe. There's no food, no security, no water, not even money. Enough of this situation. We want to live with dignity," one protester said. Some protesters shouted anti-Hamas slogans during the rally, the AFP news agency reported. In Beit Lahiya, some shouted 'Hamas out' and 'Hamas terrorists,' it said. Majdi, a protester who did not wish to give his full name, told the agency that the 'people are tired'. Munther al-Hayek, the spokesperson for Fatah Gaza, has urged Hamas to give up power, saying its rule in the enclave threatens the Palestinian cause, according to the Wafa news agency. Palestinians attend a rally calling for an end to the war, in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on 25 March 2025 (AFP)
The Guardian
26-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Middle East crisis live: hundreds join anti-Hamas protest in Gaza
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Hundreds join protest against Hamas in northern Gaza Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Lorenzo Tondo At least one appeal to join the anti-Hamas protests in northern Gaza was circulating on the social media network Telegram. 'I don't know who organised the protest,' one man told Agence France-Press. 'I took part to send a message on behalf of the people: Enough with the war,' he said, adding that he had seen 'members of the Hamas security forces in civilian clothing breaking up the protest'. Majdi, another protester who did not wish to give his full name, said the 'people are tired'. 'If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn't Hamas give up power to protect the people?' he told AFP. Separate clips showed dozens of people in Jabalia refugee camps, in the western part of Gaza City, burning tyres and calling for the war to end. 'We want to eat,' they chanted. Some Gaza residents said the protests could spread to other parts of the war-torn territory, whose inhabitants are exhausted and traumatised after a year and a half of conflict. Since Hamas launched its attacks on southern Israel on 7 October, modest protests have occasionally broken out in Gaza, with demonstrators demanding an end to the war. Many of the slogans chanted on Tuesday evoked the Bidna N'eesh ('We Want to Live') movement, which emerged during the 2019 Gaza economic protests. Those protests were violently suppressed by Hamas, which said they were orchestrated by its rival, Fatah. Israel regularly calls for people in Gaza to mobilise against Hamas, which has been in power in the territory since 2007. Hundreds join protest against Hamas in northern Gaza Share Hundreds of Palestinians have joined protests in northern Gaza, shouting anti-Hamas slogans and calling for an end to the war with Israel, in what has been described as the largest protest against the militant group inside the territory since the 7 October attacks. Videos and photos shared on social media late on Tuesday showed hundreds of people, mostly men, chanting 'Hamas out' and 'Hamas terrorists' in Beit Lahia, where the crowd had gathered a week after the Israeli army resumed its intense bombing of Gaza after nearly two months of a truce. The protests took place in front of the Indonesian hospital in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Some protesters were seen carrying banners emblazoned with slogans including 'Stop the war' and 'We want to live in peace'. Palestinians attend a rally calling for an end to the war, in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities released a Palestinian director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, a day after he was attacked by a group of about 15 armed Israeli settlers and detained by soldiers. Hamdan Ballal and two other Palestinians were accused of throwing stones at a settler, allegations they deny. More on both of these stories in a moment, but first here are some other news developments: Houthi media in Yemen reported on Wednesday at least 17 strikes in Saada and Amran, blaming the United States for the attacks. The rebels' Ansarollah website said US warplanes carried out 'aggressive air raids … causing material damage to citizens' property', but gave no details of casualties. Japan's defence minister Gen Nakatani says his country will provide medical treatment for two Palestinian women for injuries and illnesses from the conflict in Gaza , and one of them has arrived in Tokyo. The treatments, Nakatani said, are part of Japan's efforts to address the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and followed a request from the World Health Organization. At least 50,144 Palestinian people have been killed and 113,704 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Fresh Israeli evacuation orders affect as many as 120,000 people living in heavily damaged northern Gaza, and cover two hospitals and a one primary health care center, the UN humanitarian agency said Tuesday. Israel said it ordered civilians to evacuate late on Monday because its forces need to advance into two areas where Palestinian militants recently fired rockets. Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, told the UN security council it 'must not come to pass' that Syria backslides into conflict, fragmentation, and having its sovereignty routinely violated by external powers. Pedersen said the other road, restoring sovereignty and regional security, 'requires the right Syrian decisions,' but the country's interim authorities cannot do it alone and need increased and continuing international support. US president Donald Trump nominated conservative media critic and pro-Israel commentator Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa. The move on Tuesday comes during strained diplomatic relations with the country, including over its stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Syria described Israeli attacks as a 'flagrant violation' of its sovereignty after a deadly bombardment on Tuesday in the country's south, where Israel's military said it had responded to incoming fire. The violence near the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights followed Israeli airstrikes in central Syria. Share
Asharq Al-Awsat
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Anti-Hamas Slogans Chanted at Hundreds-strong Protest in Gaza
Hundreds of Palestinians shouted anti-Hamas slogans at a protest in northern Gaza on Tuesday calling for an end to the war with Israel, witnesses said. The demonstrators chanted "Hamas out" and "Hamas terrorists" in Beit Lahia, where the crowd had gathered a week after the Israeli army resumed its intense bombing of Gaza following nearly two months of a truce. On the social media network Telegram, at least one appeal to protest had circulated on Tuesday. "I don't know who organized the protest," said Mohammed, a demonstrator who declined to give his last name for fear of reprisals. "I took part to send a message on behalf of the people: Enough with the war," he said, adding that he had seen "members of the Hamas security forces in civilian clothing breaking up the protest". Majdi, another protester who did not wish to give his full name, said the "people are tired". "If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn't Hamas give up power to protect the people?" he asked. As of Tuesday evening, Telegram messages from unknown sources were calling on people to reprise the demonstration in various parts of Gaza on Wednesday. Israel regularly calls for Gazans to mobilize against the movement that has been in power in the territory since 2007. Levels of discontent towards Hamas in Gaza are difficult to gauge. The last available survey was conducted in September by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR). It estimated that 35 percent of Palestinians in Gaza said they supported Hamas, and 26 percent said they supported its rival Fatah, the party of Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Fatah's spokesman in Gaza, Monther al-Hayek, called on Hamas Saturday to "step aside from governing" to safeguard the "existence" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip has been devastated by more than 17 months of war between Israel and Hamas, with the humanitarian situation again deteriorating after Israel blocked the passage of aid into the territory on March 2 in an attempt to force the fighters to release Israeli hostages. Since Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza, at least 792 Palestinians have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The war was sparked by the group's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 50,021 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry.
