Hamas Faces Down Unprecedented Protests in Gaza: What We Know

Major protests against Hamas have broken out across Gaza, representing the largest demonstrations against the militant group since the conflict with Israel began in October 2023.

Newsweek has reached out to Hamas officials for comment.

Why It Matters

The rare protests against Hamas reflect growing internal dissent within Gaza, potentially altering the region's political landscape. This shift could have significant implications for both Israel and the United States, who have long regarded Hamas as a major obstacle to peace efforts. The Islamist group is committed to ultimately destroying Israel.

What To Know

Video footage circulating on social media platforms on Tuesday showed Palestinian demonstrators chanting "Hamas must go out! Out Out Out!"

The protests, which media said were by hundreds of people, reportedly took place in Gaza's Beit Lahia and Jabalia neighborhoods, where protesters also called for the end of the "Israeli genocide" and an end to the war.

In one video posted on X by Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif, who reports from Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, protesters are seen holding signs which read "Enough displacement and homelessness," "stop the war," and "we are dying." A protester standing in the middle of the crowd yelled "We are a peaceful people! We want to live! we want to live! We are done!"

Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing broadcast a message through their Telegram channel saying those who take the streets in demonstrations "supporting the occupation, under the name of anti-Hamas protests" are "agents," a term used in Arabic to refer to traitors, particularly in a political context.

Hamas has been increasingly calling for "general mobilization" in Gaza and the West Bank, after Israel renewed airstrikes on Gaza last week, signaling an end to a short ceasefire that was in place since January.

The group's military wing had particularly invited Palestinians to organize sit-ins at Al-Aqsa Mosque and "clash with the occupation and its settler mobs in all places and arenas," according to a Telegram message on their channel sent out on Monday.

Hamas has a documented history of cracking down on protests that challenge its authority in Gaza, according to Palestinian citizens' testimonials and human rights groups.

What People Are Saying

Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib on X: "The massive anti-Hamas, anti-war protests in Gaza are not PLO, PA, or Fatah organized. They are organic, popular-led, and entirely authentic expressions of frustrations, anger, rage, fury, and exhaustion by a people being held hostage by Hamas's ruthless terrorism & criminality."

Palestinian Activist Hamza Al-Masry on Telegram: "Note: We stand against the Zionist occupation but the pressure facing Gaza people is beyond imagination. And unfortunately, Hamas leadership has not come out to reassure the people but to say 'until the last child, we will fight until the last child'. So this is the response from the citizens of Gaza."

What Happens Next

The emergence of internal criticism within Gaza could fuel tensions between supporters and opponents of Hamas. It could also put pressure on Hamas for a ceasefire with Israel.

Corrected on 03/26/25 at 5.27 a.m. ET to remove reference to protests in other Israeli occupied territories