Despite Hamas' crackdown, Gaza protests continue in rare defiance
The deteriorating situation in Gaza has led to rare anti-Hamas protests amid growing frustration over the poor conditions in the besieged enclave.
KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip — Years of successive crises in the besieged Gaza Strip have seemingly reached a boiling point, with Gazans erupting in anger against the Hamas movement in the last two weeks.
Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets last Sunday and again this Friday in various areas of the Gaza Strip in rare public protests against Hamas, which has ruled the enclave since 2006.
Masses gathered in Gaza City, Nuseirat, Khan Yunis, the Jabaliya refugee camp, Rafah, Bani Suheila and Shujaiya. The protesters chanted, “Hamas leave us be,” “We want to live,” and “The people want the fall of the regime.” The protests are politically, economically and socially driven, as living conditions and power outages in Gaza have become unbearable.
In some areas, protesters also called for ending the Palestinian division, repeating slogans such as, “The people want the end of division” and “Abbas and Haniyeh, the people are the victims,” referring to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
