Palestinians in Northern Gaza Protest Against HAMAS

What Happened?

Thousands of Palestinians staged protests in northern Gaza against HAMAS, shouting “HAMAS out!” in a rare public display of anger at the militant organization. 

While the main objective of the protests was to call for an end to the seventeen-month war between Israel and Gaza, protesters also vocally expressed their displeasure with HAMAS.

In the Shijaiyah section of Gaza City, protestors chanted “the people want the fall of HAMAS!” as they marched through streets filled with rubble. 

One of the protestors said they were “against the war, against HAMAS, against Israel and against the world’s silence.” 

Why it Matters

Public displays of anger against HAMAS have been rare, mainly because in the past the militant group openly threatened anyone who took part in protests. HAMAS also made a habit of threatening the families of protestors, and such threats of violence for a long time kept many Palestinians in line.

But the last seventeen months have seen unparalleled levels of destruction in Gaza, and faced with daily and deadly Israeli airstrikes, its likely many Palestinians are more afraid of bombs falling from the sky then threats from HAMAS. 

In addition, many HAMAS fighters have been killed in the war, leaving the organization with less manpower and in a much weaker position than it has ever been. 

Public anger in Gaza and a weakened HAMAS have created the conditions for the public displays of anti-HAMAS sentiment we are seeing today. For a long time many Palestinians opposed HAMAS but they were too afraid of reprisals to express those sentiments in public. 

That appears to be changing in what could be a rare window of opportunity for Gaza to rid itself of the longstanding influence of HAMAS.

HAMAS, like Hezbollah, is a complicated organization that does more than just conduct military operations. It also provides social services to Palestinians in Gaza because there are few other options for ordinary people who live there. 

Because HAMAS provides social services, in public it claims to not be primarily a militant organization. But the launching of the war on Israel in October of 2023 have discredited those claims for many Palestinians.

In fact, the primary objective of HAMAS is not to provide social services to Palestinians but to try to bring about the destruction of Israel. That HAMAS has instead brought about the destruction of Gaza is a fact of daily life now for those who live there.

The continued calls by HAMAS to continue fighting indefinitely are losing their appeal to Palestinians in Gaza.

How it Affects You

Destroying HAMAS is not enough to bring peace to Gaza; what is needed instead is to destroy the idea of HAMAS. 

The recent protests by Palestinians against HAMAS indicate the first steps towards the eradication of the ideology behind HAMAS may be underway in Gaza. 

That doesn’t mean the militant ideology of HAMAS will just suddenly disappear, but it has definitely suffered a loss of appeal since 2023.