Large-scale protests against Hamas are underway in several areas of the Gaza Strip this afternoon, according to a Gaza-based the source. The demonstrations come less than an hour after reports of Hamas deploying operatives to block planned protests, and follow a rare protest of hundreds against Hamas rule on Friday.
Large-scale anti-Hamas protests are now reported in multiple areas of the Gaza Strip this Friday afternoon, according to a Gaza-based source that tracks events in the Strip. The report, posted at 17:27 Jerusalem, says demonstrations are taking place "in many areas of Gaza" at this hour.
This development comes just minutes after The Zioneer reported that Hamas had deployed operatives and uniformed personnel to locations where anti-Hamas protests had been scheduled, according to security analyst Yair Goldblatt (17:04 Jerusalem). The analyst described the deployment as an intimidation campaign aimed at preventing demonstrations. The thread earlier on Friday saw The Zioneer report at 15:55 Jerusalem that civilian protests had begun, then that hundreds were protesting in Gaza City and Khan Yunis, and later that this was the first such public protest in a year. The deployment report at 17:04 Jerusalem added a layer of escalation by describing an effort to suppress those protests.
Context: demonstrations against Hamas rule have been rare. On Sunday, June 14, The Zioneer reported that Gaza activists planned a "June 26 Revolution" protest campaign, and that Hamas had begun arresting organizers. The degree of organization behind today's protests — and whether they are connected to that earlier planning — remains unclear.
The scope and scale of the current protests remain unconfirmed by additional independent sources. It is unclear whether Hamas's deployment has been effective in limiting turnout or whether demonstrators face active interference. The channel reporting the protests did not specify locations within Gaza or provide footage, and no other source has yet corroborated the scale of the demonstrations.
6 developments
- DevelopingHamas deploys operatives to block planned anti-Hamas protests in Gaza, analyst says
- DevelopingArmed Palestinian militiamen cross yellow line in northern Gaza, challenge Hamas
- DevelopingHamas reestablishes police state in Gaza with torture chambers in hospitals, schools, Gazans say
- StrongGaza activists plan 'June 26 Revolution' protests against Hamas, Hamas reportedly arrests organizers
Source and signal
- Internal intake