Palestinians Protest Against Hamas; Demand End of Violence
Palestinians protest the rule of Hamas and call for an end to the war in Gaza. (Wikimedia Commons)
Palestinians took to the streets to protest against Hamas’s rule over Gaza on March 26, 2025. According to AP, protesters demanded an end to the violence and suffering endured for the last 13 months under Israeli invasion, which began with Hamas’s October 7 attack.
Protesters are calling for the “end of the violence” and the removal of Hamas from power in Gaza, as some believe that will bring an end to the war, since pushing Israel out of Gaza is now out of the picture. In the streets of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, Protesters chanted “out, out, out, Hamas out,” according to the BBC. Israel used the protests to advocate for similar aims. As reported by AP, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz encouraged Palestinians to increase their protests, saying, “You too should demand the removal of Hamas from Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. That is the only way to stop the war.”
Still, many are angry with Israel’s support of the Palestinian protests, saying Israel seeks to exploit their struggles for peace to achieve their own aims of oppressing the Palestinian people. Armed resistance is still widely favored because peaceful means of resistance against Israel have often failed to prevent Israeli aggression. Speaking with AP, Tahani Mustafa, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said, “There is a red line in the Palestinian national discourse. You simply don’t criticize armed resistance. To do that will then provide the kind of pretext that Israel and the international community are looking for” to support Israel’s actions.
However, the Palestinian protests are not only against the rule of Hamas in Gaza, but also against the brutal invasion by Israel, the idleness of the world, and U.S. support for Israel. Many have still strongly, outwardly condemned Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has massacred over 50,000 people. After Israel broke its 2-month ceasefire with Hamas, Israel continued airstrikes in Gaza and cut off humanitarian aid and food during the holy month of Ramadan, according to NPR. The extreme humanitarian crisis has only gotten worse, and the Palestinian protests are a response to these conditions.
Recent protests demand an end to Israel’s destruction of Palestinians and Gaza, as Israeli airstrikes have displaced nearly 90 percent of Palestinians and leveled most of Gaza. As reported by AP, Mohammed Abu Saker, a Palestinian man taking part in the protests, said, “The protest was not about politics. It was about people’s lives. We can’t stop Israel from killing us, but we can press Hamas to give concessions.”
Since Hamas came to power in a landslide election in 2007, the group has suppressed dissent and violently dispersed protests. Although there were no official crackdowns by Hamas on recent protests, Hamas supporters counterprotested, according to the BBC.
Protests against the authority of Hamas in Gaza are an important signifier of the level of suffering in Gaza. Palestinians are seeking an end to the war that has led to the slaughter of thousands of people, and Israel does not seek to end this war any time soon.