‘Yes to love, no to terrorism’: Anti-Hamas protests reignite in Gaza despite Hamas threats and violence

A recent poll from the Institute for Social and Economic Progress showed that only 6 percent of Gazans want Hamas to exclusively rule the enclave after the war.

By Jack Elbaum, The Algemeiner

Palestinians in Gaza again protested against Hamas on Wednesday after the initial wave of protests died down earlier this month amid Hamas threats and brutal violence against those who participated.

Crowds of Palestinians marched in Beit Lahia, which is in northern Gaza, on Wednesday chanting “Hamas out, out!” and “We don’t want a Qatari tent—we want to live in freedom.”

Other chants included, “Yes to love, no to terrorism, yes to peace” and “Deliver the message… all of Hamas is garbage.”

One protest leader explained, “We want to live in peace—we don’t want more wars.” Based on videos of the protests, it appears hundreds may have been in attendance.

Soon after the protests started, members of Hamas showed up in masks with pro-Hamas messages on posters such as “Beit Lahia with the resistance.”

Photos and videos of the pro-Hamas agitators circulated on Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood-aligned social channels. However, the protesters quickly kicked out those who aimed to distort what the aims of the protests truly were.

Hamas, which brutally seized full control of Gaza in 2007, sparked the current war in the Palestinian enclave when it invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 hostages.

The ensuing conflict has resulted in massive losses for Hamas but also created a humanitarian crisis among Gazan civilians.

Anger with Hamas among Gaza’s population is widespread.

A recent poll from the Institute for Social and Economic Progress showed that only 6 percent of Gazans want Hamas to exclusively rule the enclave after the war, and even fewer said they would vote for them if elections were held today.

However, 38 percent expressed support for a unity government, which would presumably include Hamas in power as part of a coalition with other Palestinian factions.

In late March, an initial wave of anti-Hamas protests broke out across Gaza, with thousands marching against the war and Hamas.

The Assembly of Southern Gaza clans released a statement at the time against Hamas, saying, “Enough is enough — a popular uprising against injustice. No more playing with our lives, our children’s future, or disregarding our suffering. Gaza is not anyone’s hostage; Gaza will be liberated by the will of its people.”

Another statement, released by the clans of Shuja’iyya in northern Gaza, read, “We call on you to take to the streets in a popular march of anger rejecting the continuation of the war, and demanding the lifting of Hamas’s control over the Gaza Strip, so that life can return to its people and our ongoing suffering can come to an end.”

However, after a little less than a week of continuous protests, they died down, partly due to Hamas threats and violence against those who took part in them.

Additionally, there were reports of death threats and even attempted executions and kidnappings by Hamas targeting those participating in the protests. Hamas officials have also reportedly called activists and threatened them not to join that Friday’s protests, which were supposed to be a part of a “Day of Rage.”

Hamas reportedly tortured a 22-year-old man, Uday Rabie, to death for speaking out against the group and attending the protests. Rabie’s brother, Hassan, told CNN that “They took him, they kept torturing him.” Rabie was reportedly tied by the neck with a rope

“They handed him over to me, and told me, in these words,” Hassan said. “This is the fate of everyone who disrespects Al-Qassam Brigades and speaks ill of them.”

Rabie died in the hospital shortly after.