Hundreds of Palestinians staged a rare protest in northern Gaza on Tuesday, demanding that Hamas relinquish control of the territory and agree to a ceasefire with Israel.
Footage from Beit Lahiya, a city heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes and ongoing clashes, showed demonstrators chanting anti-Hamas slogans such as “Hamas out.” Some protesters held signs reading, “Enough displacement and homelessness,” “Stop the war,” and “We refuse to die.”
A local journalist captured video of protesters chanting, “We want to live,” as a man addressed the crowd, saying, “We are a peaceful people. We want to live. People have no money to move, and there is no space left in Gaza. Where will we go?”
Reports indicate that Hamas forces attempted to disperse the demonstration. Calls for further protests circulated online Wednesday as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz urged Gazans to demand Hamas’ removal, warning of intensified military operations.
Israel resumed its offensive last week after a two-month ceasefire, aiming to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported that 792 people had been killed and 1,663 wounded since the latest fighting began, bringing Gaza’s overall death toll to 50,144.
Israeli officials estimate that 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ October attack, with 251 taken hostage.
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