Dozens of people joined protests in northern and southern Gaza on Friday to demand that Hamas relinquishes power in the war-devastated coastal strip nearly nine months after the Palestinian militant group and Israel agreed to a ceasefire.
The protests were a response to an online campaign called June 26 Revolution, which urged Gazans to demonstrate for democratic rule, basic rights and an end to people's continued suffering in the Palestinian territory.
The protesters in Gaza city and in the southern city of Khan Younis carried signs demanding that Hamas leave power and chanted “our voices are not acts of betrayal”, rejecting the group's stance that criticising it amounts to treason. They dispersed peacefully after about an hour, residents told The National.
At the same time, other residents held signs reading, “No to destruction, no to division. Yes to living in peace”, calling on all parties not to exploit the suffering of Gaza's people to deepen internal divisions.
The Facebook page of the June 26 Revolution, named after the date set for the protests' launch, says it is motivated by the “suffering of the people and their legitimate demands”.
It says the campaign is not affiliated with “groups or militias collaborating with the occupation [Israel], or any entities operating east or outside the Yellow Line” that divided Gaza into Israeli-controlled and Hamas-controlled territory after the ceasefire.
It is not clear who is behind the campaign, but several Gazans living abroad appear in videos posted on the Facebook page, including journalists, activists and opponents of Hamas.
Large areas of Gaza were destroyed, and most of its population was displaced in the war triggered by a deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Residents say Israel's continued control over the entry of goods has left them still facing shortages of food items, medicine and other essentials.
The number of protests on Friday was fewer than the June 26 Revolution had called for. It had asked people to assemble at 18 locations across the strip.
The Israeli government had endorsed the protests. On its Arabic account on X, it encouraged people to “revolt against the oppressors”, a reference to Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.
The online campaign has divided Gazans. Some have encouraged the movement, which they view as the public rejection of a life spent in humiliation and oppression by Hamas and Israel.
Others discouraged people from leaving their tents and homes for fear of causing further chaos, armed conflict and bloodshed, at a time when Hamas faces a challenge from Israel-backed Palestinian militias.
Israeli media, such as The Times of Israel, has criticised these Israeli-armed groups for not making enough “headway” against Hamas, despite receiving military-grade drones, air support and intelligence, as well as food supplies and access to Israel for medical care.
Some also rejected the call for demonstrations because of Israel's clear support, fearing that it was an attempt to fragment society further.
The Hamas-linked Palestinian Scholars Association issued a fatwa, or religious edict, accusing those behind the protest campaign of being “agents of the occupation”.
The coalition of Palestinian tribes in Gaza issued a statement thanking people for what it described as their role in preserving social unity and thwarting attempts to undermine the Palestinian national fabric. The coalition also urged people not to be drawn into what it called misleading campaigns aimed at sowing discord.
Earlier, prominent Gaza families had issued clarifications after conflicting statements by people purporting to speak for them on the issue.
“Palestinian unity, maintaining social peace, strengthening the values of brotherhood, solidarity, and compassion among our people are a national, moral, and religious responsibility incumbent on everyone,” the Ashiy family said in a statement.
The Kilani-Rajab family said it would not allow people to speak on its behalf to “achieve private agendas or interests”, adding that any official statement should come from its leaders.
The protest campaign was heavily influenced by Palestinians abroad, such as the journalist Abdul Hamid Abdul Ati, who are believed to have begun the calls.
The last major protests in Gaza were in March last year, when there was heavy pressure on Hamas to disarm, which the group blamed on Israel. Demonstrators held posters saying “Hamas does not represent us” and told The National they were opposed to the war continuing.
The current ceasefire is part of a three-stage US-backed plan under which Hamas will disarm, the Israeli military will withdraw, and Gaza will be placed under a Palestinian technocratic committee and security maintained by an international force.
It has yet to move beyond the first phase as Israel continues to carry out attacks that have killed more than 1,000 people since October, and Hamas refuses to disarm. Three police officers were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza city on Friday, according to local authorities.
