Photo: Screenshot from the video
On 25 March, a rare protest demonstration took place in the north of the Gaza Strip, with hundreds of Palestinians demanding an end to the war against Israel. According to AFP, citing eyewitnesses, the protesters also shouted slogans against the Hamas group, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
According to one protester, he came to the rally to “deliver a message on behalf of the people: enough of the war”. A man named Mohammed, who refused to give his last name for fear of reprisals, said that Hamas security officers in civilian clothes tried to disperse the protest.
The organiser of the rally is currently unknown, which may indicate that it was spontaneous, amidst the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the region.
Resumption of hostilities
The protest took place against the backdrop of renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas. On the night of 18 March, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) resumed air strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. This happened after a ceasefire agreement had been in place since 19 January. On 19 March, Israel also resumed a ground operation aimed at increasing pressure on Hamas to release the hostages who have remained in captivity since October last year.
The escalation that has been going on since 7 October
The conflict escalated sharply on 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants launched a large-scale attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Some of them were later released or exchanged, while others were killed.
In response, Israel declared a full-scale war on Hamas. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, Israeli air strikes and ground operations killed more than 49,000 Palestinians and injured more than 111,000 others.
Hamas supports the Lebanese movement Hezbollah, which regularly fires at Israel from southern Lebanon. In response, Israel conducted military operations in the border areas, but later announced its withdrawal from Lebanon.
