Thousands of Gazans gathered in protest against Hamas and its rule over the Gaza Strip on March 25. Anger resurfaced after a two-month ceasefire, which began in January 2025 following earlier pauses like the one in September 2024, collapsed when Israel resumed military operations.
Ahmed-al-Masri, a 35-year-old construction worker who participated in the protests, expressed anger over Hamas’ rule. “We want to continue until the bloodshed stops and Hamas leaves the Palestinian scene.” Ibrahim, a 32-year-old man who refused to give his last name for fear of retaliation by Hamas, said the message of the protesters was clear: Hamas must relinquish power and end the war. Ibrahim’s fear of Hamas retribution is based in history, considering Hamas’ track record of cracking down on dissent and stifling opposition since seizing power in Gaza in 2007.
A 2018 Human Rights Watch report accused the group of routinely arresting and torturing dissidents, and The New York Times confirmed the existence of a Gestapo-style security service that compiled files and monitored thousands of civilians perceived as a threat to Hamas’ authority under the rule of Yahya Sinwar.
According to documents seized in the Gaza Strip, the General Security Service targeted various segments of society, including journalists, young activists, and individuals critical of Hamas’ governance,” according to an i24 article. “Participation in demonstrations against Hamas officials or any aspect of the group’s rule, as well as public criticism of the organization, led to investigations and surveillance by the secret police.”
The current protesters in Gaza are facing a similar plight. Relatives of Odai Nasser Saadi Al-Rubai, a 22-year-old who participated in the protests, claim he was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by Hamas officials. According to the family, they discovered his body in front of their house, likely placed there by Hamas as an intimidation tactic. Hamas has reportedly been threatening many Palestinians who are protesting against its rule, but this appears to be the first state-sanctioned execution tied to these demonstrations. Mourners at Al-Rubai’s funeral on March 29 were filmed chanting “Hamas out, out!”
Gazans were not just calling to end Hamas’ rule of the strip – some were even calling to hand over the remaining Israeli hostages. Slogans chanted at the protest included “Out out out! Hamas out!” “Where is the press?” and “We want to live!” Political leaders across Gaza also issued statements against Hamas. The mayor of Beit Lahia marched on the streets with protesters and explicitly called for an end to Hamas rule, according to a video on X. The Mokhtars, or traditional community leaders, of the Shejaiya neighborhood in northern Gaza called for protests against Hamas as well, according to Ihab Hassan, a Palestinian human rights activist. The Assembly of Southern Gaza Clans, a coalition of tribal leaders, issued a call for an intifada, or popular uprising, against Hamas, explicitly accusing the group of disregarding Palestinian lives for its own self-interest.
The protesters’ calls for Hamas to relinquish power reflect a broader trend of frustration, a sentiment that is also borne out in recent polling data. According to an October 2024 study by the Arab World for Research & Development (AWRAD), only 5.3% of Gazans wanted Hamas to rule in the post-war period, while 29.1% preferred Fatah, the party ruling the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, to govern the strip. Around one-third of Gazans polled after the seven-day ceasefire, which was allowed for a polio vaccination campaign in September 2024, favored an independent party or other factions, and the remaining 27.9% said they would not vote in future elections at all.
The AWRAD study included 1,632 Palestinians in Gaza, with interviews conducted face-to-face in homes, shelters and various locations across the strip. AWRAD used stratified sampling to ensure representation across all regions of Gaza, including Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Rafah, Gaza City and North Gaza. While AWRAD’s methodology is public and likely provides the best data available, social scientists caution that polling in a live war zone may face challenges, such as respondent bias or logistical constraints. However, the ongoing protests against Hamas suggest these findings have credibility.
The current situation is fragile but indicates a significant shift in public opinion against Hamas, posing an unprecedented challenge to the group’s rule. If this trend continues, it could open the door for Fatah or a unity government to play a larger role in Gaza’s future, potentially impacting the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
