‘Out, Out Hamas!’: Palestinians in Gaza Take to Streets in Rare Protest

Latest Developments

‘March of Rage’: Hundreds of Palestinians poured into the streets of the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahiya on March 25 in a rare protest against Hamas rule. During what was described as a “march of rage,” protestors chanted slogans including, “Out, out Hamas,” “Our children’s blood is not cheap,” and “We want to live in peace and security.” According to the Arabic news outlet Asharq al-Awsat, some of the protestors condemned renewed rocket fire from Hamas and allied terrorist groups against Israeli communities on the northern border, asserting that these attacks had caused Israel to issue evacuation warnings for residents of northern Gaza amid the renewed military operations by the IDF in the coastal enclave.
‘We Reject the Rule of Hamas’: One speaker at the protest declared: “Our message now is that we are a people of peace … we say: yes to peace, no to the tyrant rule which threatens the destiny of our people.” Another protestor remarked, “Hamas is demanding our people to remain steadfast. But how can we remain steadfast when we’re dying and bleeding? Hamas must stop what is happening in Gaza … we’re sending a message to the entire world: we reject the rule of Hamas.”
‘Where are the Journalists?’: Some of the protestors also criticized media organizations for ignoring growing Palestinian unrest against the Iran-backed terrorist group, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and has brutally cracked down on past protests. Among the slogans chanted was, “Where are the journalists?” One man observed that “the people are demanding the press to cover these events! People are demanding freedom, they’re demanding a halt to the hostilities against Gaza, they’re demanding peace and an end to this war.”

FDD Expert Response

“Hamas used brute force in the past to suppress organized protests that posed any challenge to its authority. In its current vulnerable state, Hamas is less likely than ever to tolerate dissent from the Palestinian population. From Hamas’s perspective, it must prevent these protests from spreading across the Gaza Strip, as it cannot afford to fight both Palestinians and the IDF at the same time.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

“These are not protests advocating peace and coexistence with Israel. But they are an important sign of the growing rejection of Hamas’s strategy of fighting until Israel is defeated. Rare events like these therefore pose a critical question for the pro-Hamas protest movement and its cheerleaders in Western countries: If Palestinians in Gaza reject Hamas in growing numbers, whom will you support?” — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director

“Qatari-owned Al Jazeera is known for both its propaganda and the fact that some of its journalists, like Hosam Shabat, who was killed in a recent Israeli air strike, double up as Hamas operatives. The fact that Al Jazeera has been absent from these protests boosts the view that it’s a Hamas mouthpiece pretending to be an objective news source.” — Natalie Ecanow, Senior Research Analyst

“These protests are a clear sign that Hamas has lost some of its popularity, shattering the illusion of victory and support that the group has promoted in recent months. The key question now is whether Hamas will retaliate against the protesters to suppress further dissent. What is undeniable, however, is that the group’s propaganda — whether on social media, Al Jazeera, or other Arab networks — has been exposed as a façade.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst