Protests against Hamas, which has ruled the blockaded Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, are becoming increasingly intense. Residents across Gaza are now openly chanting slogans against the group.
In a video circulating on Telegram, demonstrators can be heard shouting, “Hamas, get out!” In another clip, protesters label Hamas as “garbage.”
Mawmen Al-Natour, a Gaza resident, lawyer, and former political prisoner, said, “The world sees Gaza as Hamas and Hamas as Gaza. But we didn’t elect them—they rule by force and have tied our fate to theirs.” In a recent op-ed for The Washington Post, Al-Natour wrote that supporting Hamas means supporting the death of Palestinians, not their freedom.
In recent weeks, 22-year-old protester Odai Al-Rubai was abducted, tortured, and killed. His family has blamed Hamas. The Palestinian Human Rights Commission described the incident as an “extrajudicial killing.” Before his death, Rubai posted a video on social media saying, “Gaza is now a ghost town. I’m stranded and don’t know where to go. Hamas has destroyed us.”
Violence against Hamas critics is not new. Last year, Amin Abed was severely beaten by masked men for his anti-Hamas stance and is now recovering in Dubai, from where he remains active in the movement. “Hamas is no longer as powerful as before. They try to rule through fear, but people are not as afraid anymore,” said Abed.
In Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, Hamas fighters attempted to launch rockets from an elderly man’s home, prompting protests from neighbors. Despite gunfire injuries, residents forced the fighters out. A witness said, “We told them—we don’t want more destruction or weapons.”
Still, resistance remains dangerous. A protester in Gaza City was recently shot dead by Hamas forces.
After more than a decade of Israeli blockade, three major wars, and recent devastation, Gazans are now blaming Hamas alongside Israel for their suffering. While the protests do not yet constitute a rebellion, many believe Hamas’s “iron grip” is weakening.