GAZA CITY — It was late March when the protests against Hamas reached a new peak. Dozens of citizens gathered near a displacement camp in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, chanting slogans, most notably “Hamas out, out,” according to video clips circulated by activists on social media. Soon the demonstrations had spread to other areas in the Palestinian enclave.
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This has been a long time coming. Back in 2006, following the victory of the Hamas movement in legislative elections, Palestine entered a new phase marked by internal and external crises. Hamas’ “Executive Force” carried out a coup against the Palestinian Authority and seized full control of Gaza by force of arms, leading to the deaths of hundreds from both the Authority’s forces and civilians.
Since then, Gaza has been under Hamas rule amid ongoing security tension with Israel. The enclave has endured five bloody wars between 2008 and 2025, which claimed thousands of lives and caused near-total destruction of infrastructure.
The citizens of Gaza alone have borne the consequences of these conditions under a suffocating blockade, high unemployment rates and a decline in the standard of living due to the policies adopted by Hamas.
This led to waves of public anger, culminating in demonstrations in March 2019 rejecting the current reality and criticizing the movement’s rule. These protests were met with violent repression, as video recordings showed security forces attacking demonstrators with live bullets, beatings and abuse.
Suppression of dissent
Amid Israel’s current bloody war that had been prompted by Hamas’ October 2023 attack, the tragic circumstances would eventually push citizens to organize protest gatherings. The March 25 protests were not the first since Oct. 7: Similar demonstrations took place in January under the slogan “We want dignity,” a hashtag that spread across social media platforms in Gaza to express popular anger after the ceasefire agreement came into effect.
Despite the increasing destruction, hunger and displacement — and the popular protests by local Palestinian residents inside Gaza — Hamas policies have not changed. Its security forces suppressed demonstrators and killed several activists, some of whom died under torture or via summary execution, according to video evidence. These violations escalated public anger, with some families retaliating by killing Hamas members in response to the movement’s practices.
Protester Samir Hasaniyeh told Daraj: “Our demands are clear; we are the people who pay the price. Enough with war and destruction,” he said. “We demand that Hamas step down from power. We’ve lost everything, even the future of our children.”
Another Hamas opponent, Yasser Hamadeh, said that “life no longer exists” in Gaza. “We don’t want migration, displacement, or war — we want a dignified life.”
Civil War fears
Dr. Fadi Nassar, a Palestinian academic and researcher, warned in an interview with Daraj that since its 2007 coup, Hamas has tried to impose itself as an alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organization, causing serious social and political changes in Gaza. “Hamas’ refusal to listen to opposing voices could lead to the civil war,” Nassar said.
Critics are calling on Hamas to correct its course and act in a national spirit to save lives and prevent the worsening of internal discord, which serves the interests of the Israeli occupation.
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Know more • Hamas, short for Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Resistance Movement), was founded in 1987 during the First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. Emerging as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas combined Islamist ideology with Palestinian nationalism. Its early focus was on grassroots social services — such as schools, charities and health clinics — alongside armed resistance against Israel.
In 1988, Hamas issued its founding charter, which called for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in historic Palestine, positioning itself in stark opposition to the more secular Fatah-led Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Over time, Hamas evolved into a major political and military force within Palestinian society. In 2006, it won a majority in the Palestinian legislative elections, leading to a brief unity government with Fatah that quickly unraveled. In 2007, after violent clashes with Fatah forces, Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip, establishing de facto rule that persists to this day. Since then, Hamas has been involved in several major conflicts with Israel, while also facing growing criticism for its authoritarian governance, economic mismanagement and violent crackdowns on dissent within Gaza. — Hagar Mohamed
Ramzi Harzallah, a political activist and prominent Hamas defector, said that attitudes have changed inside Gaza. “The current demonstrations erupted spontaneously, away from any political organization and represent the voice of the Palestinian people alone,” he said. “Any support from national factions for the voice of the street is not treason, but a reinforcement of national unity.”
Harzallah said that official media does not adequately report on the voice of the protesters, so activists must rely on publishing video clips through social media. “he recent movement differs from the ‘We want dignity’ protests earlier this year, as it emerged on its own without prior coordination,” he said. “Citizen mobilization will continue demanding an end to the war and the end of Hamas rule.”
Hamas leaders have refrained from commenting on the suppression of protests and the killing of demonstrators. However, the movement issued an official statement in which it considered the slogans opposing it “spontaneous and not reflective of the general national position,” indicating that “the pressures on Gaza residents and the occupation’s attempts to sow discord are behind these protests.”
