Rare public show of dissent | Videos show hundreds  of people out on streets calling  for ‘Stop the war’ and ‘Hamas out’

AP Gaza/Cairo

In a rare show of public anger against the militant group, hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip took to the streets against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has controlled the war-torn strip for nearly two decades., according to videos circulating online.

The militant group  has long repressed dissent and still rules the territory 17 months into the war with Israel. The videos, released late Tuesday, appeared to be authentic. They showed hundreds of people taking part in an anti-war protest in the heavily destroyed northern town of Beit Lahiya, in north Gaza,  on Tuesday.

People held signs saying "Stop the war”, "We refuse to die”, and "The blood of our children is not cheap”. Some could be heard chanting: "Hamas out!" Other videos appeared to show Hamas supporters dispersing the crowds. The protest, a week after Israel started bombing,  was the largest since war  broke out against Israel since the October7 attack.

Earlier this month, Israel halted deliveries of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to Gaza's roughly two million Palestinians. Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns the 59 hostages it still holds -- 24 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel is also demanding that the group give up power, disarm and send its leaders into exile.

Hamas has said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The war was triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Hamas has said only a handful of its top commanders knew about the attack ahead of time.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 50,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. Israel's bombardment and ground operations have caused vast destruction and at their height displaced some 90 per cent of Gaza's population.