In a rare event in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, hundreds of Gazan citizens marched in the northern town of Beit Lahiya carrying white flags, calling to end the Hamas rule, and even calling to hand over the Israeli hostages.
The protests took place in front of the Indonesian Hospital in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. One protester who filmed the events questioned where Qatari Al Jazeera and its Gaza correspondent Anas al-Sharif are, implicitly referring to the channel’s no criticism of Hamas policy.
people are demanding the press to cover these events!” he said. “People are demanding freedom, they’re demanding a halt to the hostilities against Gaza, they’re demanding peace and an end to this war.” One of them said, “The press entered the hospital so as to not document this event.”
Slogans shouted in the protest included “Out out out! Hamas out!” and “Where is the press?” and “We want to live!” Signs held by protesters included slogans such as “We refuse to be the ones who die” and “Stop the war.”
Another video showed hundreds of marchers walking in the streets of Beit Lahiya, with the cameraman saying: “Large crowds are protesting now against the rule of Hamas. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The people here are calling to free the prisoners so we can remain alive,” possibly referring to the remaining Israeli hostages.
They blockaded all of Gaza and destroyed the only airport in Gaza with bombs.
They wouldn’t allow construction materials in. Limited lumber, steel, concrete, glass.
In order to leave Gaza, Palestinians needed to apply for a special ID with the Israeli government and needed a “valid reason” which essentially only meant leaving for business.
Israeli supreme court ruled in early 2000s that Gazans did not have the right to visit West Bank.
Not even if they left through Egypt, flew to Jordan, and tried to enter from Jordan. They would be denied entry.
Gaza and West Bank are part of the same country. Yet they did not have the right to visit family in their country.
Virtually all legitimate organizations, including the EU and the UN considered Gaza to be occupied during the blockade.
Israel never left. Stop spreading propaganda online. Israel never gave up control of Gaza. They controlled what went in, they controlled what came out. They controlled what buildings can be built and which buildings would be destroyed by bombs. They controlled where Gazans could fish and they controlled what items were considered “legitimate”