Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza protest against Hamas after conflict resumes

Cairo/Jerusalem: Hundreds of Palestinians have protested in northern Gaza to demand an end to war and chanting "Hamas out," social media posts showed, in a rare public show of opposition to the militant group that sparked the latest war with its October 7, 2023 raid on Israel.

Northern Gaza has been one of the most devastated areas of Gaza. Most buildings in the densely populated area have been reduced to rubble and much of the population has moved multiple times to escape the conflict.

"Out, out, out, Hamas get out," chanted those seen in one of the posts published on X, apparently from the Beit Lahiya region of Gaza on Tuesday. It showed people marching down a dusty street between war-damaged buildings.

The posts began circulating widely late on Tuesday. Reuters was able to confirm the location of the video by buildings, utility poles and road layout that matches satellite imagery of the area. Reuters was not able to independently verify the date of the video. However, several videos and photographs shared on social media showed protests in the area on March 25.

In other posts, one of the banners held by the crowd read "Enough wars," while people chanted "We don't want war."

Hundreds of thousands of residents who had fled to the south of Gaza earlier in the war, which has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians so far, had returned to their ruined homes in the north when a ceasefire took effect in January.

Now, Israeli evacuation orders after the country relaunched its offensive on March 18 have shattering the two-month truce, during which Hamas handed over more hostages from the 250 or so people the group seized in its 2023 raid. Militants had also killed more than 1,200 people in that assault.

Since Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza, saying its goal was to completely dismantle Hamas, nearly 700 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, according to Palestinian health officials.

Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 in elections that swept out the Fatah group of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It has ruled the enclave since then, offering little space for opposition. Some Palestinians voice caution about speaking out against the group publicly for fear of retribution.