For a second consecutive day, massive protests swept through Gaza on Wednesday, as thousands of residents took to the streets to denounce Hamas’ rule and demand an end to the ongoing war. What began as isolated demonstrations in Beit Lahia on Tuesday has now spread across the Strip, with large rallies reported in Deir al-Balah, Nuseirat, and Shuja’iyya.

Furious protesters held boldly worded banners with messages such as “We want to live,” “The masked man will never rule me,” “Stop the destruction,” and “Enough lies!” A sign in Shuja’iyya declared: “Hamas does not represent us,” and one particularly striking young man wore a white shirt with a Star of David on it while waving a white flag.

In Nuseirat, thousands marched through the streets chanting “Hamas out!” and even turned their anger toward Al Jazeera, a network often accused of siding with the terror group. “No, no to Al Jazeera! The people are the truth!” demonstrators roared.

One Gazan, speaking on camera, delivered a blistering rebuke of Hamas’ leadership: “Hamas must be removed. They are not the resistance – we, the people, are the resistance, while Hamas’ leaders live in luxury abroad.”

The wave of unrest has not gone unnoticed by Israeli leadership. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz directly addressed Hamas, warning that the IDF is preparing to intensify its operations.

“Soon, the IDF will strike with full force in additional areas of Gaza. You will be required to evacuate, and you will lose more and more ground. The plans are ready and approved,” Katz declared.

He urged the people of Gaza to follow the example of Beit Lahia, where protests first erupted. “Demand Hamas’ removal from Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. This is the only way to stop the war,” he said.

The renewed protests came a day after hundreds of Palestinians first took to the streets of Gaza to protest against Hamas rule and demand an end to the war. Demonstrations broke out in at least three locations across the Strip, with protesters voicing their frustration over Hamas’s governance and the ongoing devastation gripping the enclave.

Footage from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza captured around 100 residents calling for peace, holding signs that read “Stop war” and “Children in Palestine want to live.” The anger in the crowd was unmistakable, as chants of “Hamas out,” “Hamas terrorists,” and “The people want to overthrow Hamas” echoed through the streets. Some demonstrators even carried white flags—a desperate plea for peace in a region long controlled with an iron fist by Hamas.

🚨 Breaking: Large-scale Protests Against Hamas in Gaza

“Down with Hamas, we’ve had enough, Hamas!”

“The people are demanding Hamas to release the hostages, to step down from ruling Gaza, and to end this war” pic.twitter.com/c9XzbeE4Hw

— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) March 25, 2025

Despite the risk of violent suppression, the protests quickly spread. In the Jabalia refugee camp, demonstrators burned tires and chanted “We want to eat,” a stark reflection of the humanitarian crisis deepening in Gaza thanks to Hamas. Further south in Khan Younis, protesters erupted into chants of “Down with Hamas” as they demanded an end to the fighting that has shattered their lives.

Hamas, notorious for quashing dissent, has yet to officially comment on the protests. However, eyewitnesses reported plainclothes Hamas security operatives moving to disperse the crowds. Meanwhile, Gaza-based media outlets aligned with Hamas attempted to reframe the demonstrations as merely “protests against the war,” carefully omitting the widespread calls for the group’s downfall.

🚨BREAKING: Massive protest in front of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza. The protest demands: “Yes to peace, no to Hamas’ tyrannical rule. Enough of the war, enough of the destruction—in Gaza.” pic.twitter.com/kV5PNMFG8C

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) March 25, 2025

Public displays of opposition to Hamas in Gaza are exceedingly rare. Since violently seizing control from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, the terror organization has maintained an unrelenting grip on power, silencing critics through arrests, intimidation, and force. The last major protests against Hamas occurred in January 2024, when Palestinians in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis similarly called for an end to the war and Hamas’s reign, only to be met with brutal crackdowns.

The fact that these protests are erupting despite the risk of severe retaliation underscores a growing desperation among Gazans. As hunger and destruction intensify, so too does the frustration with Hamas’s leadership—raising the question of whether these demonstrations mark the beginning of a larger wave of defiance against the group that has ruled Gaza with fear for nearly two decades.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)