GAZA CITY, April 17 — Hundreds of Palestinians staged a protest against Gaza’s Hamas rulers yesterday in the territory’s northern city of Beit Lahia, calling for an end to the war with Israel, witnesses said.
Protestors directly targeted the Palestinian Islamist group with chants such as “Hamas out, out” or “Hamas is all rubbish”, said Abu Ismail Washah.
Washah, a 45-year-old resident of northern Gaza, said that he joined because he supports “any movement that calls for ending the war, because right now we are under siege, facing destruction and constant suffering.”
Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, after a brief but violent conflict with rival Palestinian group Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority.
Levels of discontent towards Hamas are difficult to gauge, in part because of its intolerance for public expressions of dissent.
On Wednesday, some held posters reading “Hamas does not represent me.”
“People took to the streets in Beit Lahia demanding that Hamas leave, due to the ongoing war, bombardment, destruction, and constant pressure to evacuate”, Mohammed al-Masri, one of the participants, told AFP.
Al-Masri, 45, said protesters chanted the slogan “We don’t want a Qatari tent, we want to live in freedom”.
Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants have been displaced at least once since the start of the war.
With Gaza under total Israeli blockade since March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down, there are not enough tents available for those newly displaced.
Al-Masri, a resident of northern Gaza, told AFP that protestors cheered for Egypt, a mediator in talks between Hamas and Israel, with some waving Egyptian flags.
Hassan Abu Jarad called for the liberation of hostages held in Gaza, one of Israel’s main war objectives.
“We appeal to the wise among our people to release the kidnapped Israelis immediately”, Abu Jarad told AFP.
“We call on all the Israeli people to renounce their hatred for us and we tell you that we do not hate you.. We are a people who love life and peace”, he added.
It’s at least the third demonstration inside Gaza calling for an end to the war in the past month.
Both previous demonstrations also took place in the north of Gaza, which has been nearly entirely destroyed by Israeli air strikes. — AFP