Protests in the Strip reveal deep resentment towards the group’s mismanagement and corruption
For the first time in nearly two decades, the people of Gaza are raising their voices – not only against Israel but also against Hamas. In an unprecedented wave of protests sweeping across Beit Lahia, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, and Rafah, hundreds have taken to the streets, demanding an end to Hamas’ rule, restoration of their rights, and a future free from war and oppression. But as the protests grow, so does Hamas’ crackdown. Can this movement survive, or will Hamas crush it once again?
Why they rise
The demonstrations, which erupted in late March 2025, represent the largest grassroots challenge to Hamas since it seized control in 2007. Protesters chant for freedom, the end of Hamas’ regime, and liberation from the heavy burdens of war, poverty, and fear.
“We can’t live like this anymore,” said Mohammad, a resident of Nuseirat, whose full identity is withheld for safety reasons. “People are drowning in darkness, oppression, and sorrow. We’re exhausted by Hamas dragging us into death and destruction while they live comfortably.”
Since Hamas’ takeover in 2007, conditions in Gaza have worsened significantly – not solely due to the Israeli blockade imposed because of Hamas’ designation as a terrorist organization.
From 2007 to 2023, Gaza’s GDP per capita dropped by 54%, nearing levels last seen in 1994. Unemployment spiked from 40% in 2007 to a staggering 80% by 2024, and poverty soared to 65% by 2022. The war that erupted the following year only worsened the crisis.
Yet, it’s not merely economic hardship driving the unrest. Hamas has maintained an iron grip on Gaza for nearly two decades, suppressing dissent and silencing opposition. Now, frustration has reached a boiling point. Protesters have clear demands: ending Hamas’ rule, restoring basic human rights, and living free from the constant threat of war.
Years of frustration
Though these demonstrations are unprecedented in scale, they aren’t Gaza’s first attempt to challenge Hamas. Previous protests, notably the Bidna Na’ish (“We Want to Live”) movements in 2011 and 2015, called primarily for economic reform and political freedom. Each time, Hamas swiftly crushed these movements with violent crackdowns, arrests, and intimidation.
This time, however, the mood feels different.
“Hamas’ police are everywhere, but people aren’t backing down,” Mohammad said. “They know arrests and violence are inevitable, but we have nothing left to lose.”
Unlike past protests focused mainly on economic grievances, today’s demonstrations explicitly target Hamas’ political power. Protesters aren’t just asking for better living conditions – they want Hamas removed entirely. Interestingly, they blame Hamas, alongside Israel, for Gaza’s current devastation.
Gaza has weathered multiple wars, but the destruction since October 7, 2023, has pushed it to collapse. Following Hamas’ attack on Israel, the Israeli military response left vast areas in ruins.
According to recent UN estimates, 80% of buildings in northern Gaza are damaged or destroyed, 97% of residents lack consistent access to clean water, and child malnutrition rates have doubled. Essential infrastructure is devastated: roads lie in rubble, hospitals barely operate, and power outages are frequent.
“Of course, Israel is bombing us and killing our children, but who brought this upon us?” asked Mustafa, another Gazan critical of Hamas, who spoke anonymously due to fear of persecution.
“When they [Hamas] planned the attack on Israel, didn’t they think what the outcome might be? Did they really think Israel would swallow it? It was obvious that they would wreck havoc on us, so why did the leadership put us in this position from the first place?” he lamented.
Mustafa’s anger at Hamas is intensified by what he sees as their indifference to Palestinian suffering.
“Entire neighborhoods have no food or water, especially since humanitarian aid stopped flowing,” Mustafa claimed. “Meanwhile, Hamas leaders sit comfortably, stockpiling supplies. They’re not suffering like we are.”
After Israel resumed ground operations in Gaza, border crossings closed again, halting humanitarian aid as happened at the war’s onset. Even when assistance was available, reports suggest Hamas and its allies diverted substantial portions, leaving ordinary Palestinians hungry and desperate. Such systemic corruption has deepened resentment. Gazans are now equally outraged at Hamas’ greed and mismanagement as at Israel’s blockade.
Enough is enough?
For years, Hamas justified its authoritarian rule as necessary resistance for Palestinian freedom. But after enduring endless cycles of violence, many Gazans reject this narrative.
“For years, they told us resistance would bring dignity,” Mustafa said. “But what has it brought? Hunger, death, and endless war. Hamas is fighting for Iran’s interests, not for us.”
Hamas’ ties with Iran and other Islamist movements have increasingly become contentious. Protesters accuse Hamas of jeopardizing Gaza’s future by prioritizing foreign agendas.
“They’re gambling with our lives,” Mohammad added. “We’re not pawns in their geopolitical games.”
Hamas doesn’t like what it sees. As protests have grown, the group arrested dozens of activists and ordinary citizens, accusing them of spying for Israel or Fatah, Hamas’ main political rival controlling the Palestinian Authority.
Telegram channels linked to Israel and Fatah claim Hamas has executed at least six Gazans accused of organizing protests, though RT could not independently verify these reports.
Hamas claims to RT that information about group “is punishing those who participated in the protests is lacking any evidence.”
“We believe in the right of the our people to raise their voices, those who went to the streets are representing less than 1-2 % of the population and we are in an hourly contact with the people to discuss a way out”, the group stated.
Nevertheless, reports of torture and other radical methods have understandably frightened many, but Mohammad remains resolute.
“Hamas can use force to silence us,” he stated firmly, “but they can’t erase our anger. The harder they repress us, the stronger we’ll become.”
Mustafa echoed this sentiment:
“Hamas knows if these protests succeed, their reign is finished. That’s why they’re desperate to crush them – and exactly why we’re determined to persist. Enough is enough.”
Hamas’ responses
RT approached a top Hamas official for a comment. The group issued a statement acknowledging the pain felt by the residents of Gaza, while emphasizing unity among Palestinians.
“It is the legitimate right of everybody to cry out in pain and to raise their voices loudly against the aggression targeting our people and the disappointment we face from our nation,” the statement read. “Our people, with all their factions – whether those who have taken to the streets or those who have not – are united; we are part of them, and they are part of us.”
However, Hamas condemned what it described as the manipulation of Gaza’s humanitarian tragedy for political gain, aiming to divert attention away from the real perpetrator – the Israeli occupation and its military.
Addressing critics directly, Hamas questioned: “To those in Ramallah pursuing such questionable agendas, we ask: Where are you when it comes to the ongoing killings, displacement, destruction, and annexation taking place daily in the West Bank? Why do you not mobilize against this aggression, or at least allow the people there to take to the streets and voice their rejection of these crimes?”
Hamas also asserted that it had upheld its commitments under a deal reached with Israel aimed at halting the war. “We have signed a deal with the Israelis, with the main goal to stop the war on our people, and we have fulfilled all our obligations accordingly,” Hamas stated. “Yet, supported by the Americans, the Israelis have breached the deal and launched the war again. Despite of this we are still committed to the deal and we have accepted the proposals presented to us by the mediators.”
Read the full article here
