Gazans Protest Against Hamas and War for a Second Day

Palestinians in Gaza protested against the war for a second straight day on Wednesday and chanted slogans against Hamas, frustrated and angry over the collapse of a cease-fire with Israel that many had hoped would become permanent.

The protests were rare shows of dissent against Hamas, the armed group that has ruled Gaza for 17 years with an iron fist and which started a 15-month war by leading the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Wednesday’s protests appeared to spread to more parts of Gaza than on Tuesday, according to video on social media and witnesses.

Most of the demonstrations have been small so far. But the main ones on Tuesday and Wednesday in the heavily damaged northern town of Beit Lahiya appear to have drawn hundreds of people, according to witnesses. No crowd numbers could be independently verified, though videos showed significant gatherings.

Smaller protests were held on Wednesday in Gaza City, also in the north, and in at least two locations in central Gaza — Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah. One participant in Deir al-Balah said nearly 300 people took part in the protest there, with no discernible Hamas presence.

Some Gazans say the protests began as a spontaneous outpouring of emotion, but there were indications on Wednesday that they were becoming more organized. Over the past two days, there has been a notable increase in calls on social media from Palestinians inside Gaza to come out into the streets and demonstrate against Hamas’s rule and its conduct of the war with Israel.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered for the second straight day in Beit Lahiya, some chanting “Hamas out! Hamas is terrorism!” and “We want to live freely.” There was another smaller protest in Gaza City, also in the north, with chants against Hamas.