‘Stop the War’: Gaza Erupts in Second Day of Protests (Video)
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – For the second consecutive day, rare and growing protests spread across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, as thousands of residents took to the streets to demand that Hamas immediately end the war with Israel and relinquish control over Gaza.
The protests, which began Tuesday in Beit Lahiya, spread Wednesday to Gaza City’s Shejaiya and Sabra neighborhoods, the Nuseirat refugee camp, and Deir al-Balah. Protesters denounced Hamas, chanting slogans and carrying signs reading, “Stop the war,” “We want to live,” and “Our children’s blood is not cheap.”
In Shejaiya, a Hamas stronghold, demonstrators shouted, “For God’s sake – Hamas out,” marking the first such protest there since the conflict began.
Meanwhile, in Beit Lahiya, crowds repeated chants from the previous night: “Hamas out, out, Hamas is a terrorist.” One protester stated, “We’re the ones paying the price, not them. This war must end. Hamas must go.”
One protester succinctly explained the goal of the demonstrations: “The protest was not about politics. It was about people’s lives,” adding, “We want to stop the killing and displacement, no matter the price. We can’t stop Israel from killing us, but we can press Hamas to give concessions.”
Hamas, which previously suppressed protests violently, has so far avoided open intervention, possibly due to caution amid Israel’s renewed offensive. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim wrote on Facebook that people had the right to protest but should focus on the “criminal aggressor,” Israel.
Earlier Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz released a video in Hebrew and Arabic urging Gazans to continue protesting against Hamas, saying it is the only way to “stop the war,” and calling for Hamas’s removal and the release of Israeli hostages.
Katz emphasized that “the IDF will soon operate in force in additional areas of Gaza and you will be required to evacuate for your protection from the combat zones.” Katz stated that plans have already been approved, and the Israeli military will continue to destroy more and more Gazan territory.
Katz noted that Yahya Sinwar, “the first Sinwar,” has already “destroyed Gaza,” while his brother Mohammed, currently in charge of Hamas in Gaza, “is ready to burn half of Gaza with his own hands, just to try and preserve the corrupt rule of him and his colleagues.”
Katz urged them to “learn from the residents of Beit Lahiya,” referencing protests that broke out there on Tuesday. “Learn from the residents of Beit Lahiya, as they did, you should also demand the removal of Hamas from Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. This is the only way to stop the war.”
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