Protests against Hamas and demands to stop the war in Gaza continued yesterday, Wednesday, in an unusual scene reflecting a radical shift in the Gaza public's position after more than seven months of destruction and suffering.

Eyewitnesses explained that demonstrators in multiple areas of the Strip chanted for the second consecutive day, calling for Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, and raised anti-movement slogans, following more than a week since Israeli aircraft resumed airstrikes.

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in a march in Gaza City, while hundreds more assembled in a similar protest in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. Protesters held banners with messages like "Hamas does not represent us" and "Our children's blood is not cheap," expressing their growing discontent clearly.

Tribes from the Shuja'iyya neighborhood in Gaza called for a protest stand against Hamas yesterday Wednesday afternoon, affirming that silence is no longer an option in the face of ongoing suffering.

The statement issued by the tribes accused Hamas leaders of ignoring their suffering and exploiting Gaza residents, emphasizing that the Gaza Strip is not exclusive to any particular faction or group, in a clear reference to rejecting the movement's continued control over the Strip.

Night demonstrations erupted Tuesday evening in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where protesters chanted demands to stop the war and remove Hamas from administering the Strip, an unprecedented phenomenon under the movement's rule.

In a rare occurrence in Gaza, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in protests in Beit Lahia and Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, calling for an end to the war that has exhausted civilians and burdened them with tragedy and destruction.

Posts on social media platforms showed hundreds of Palestinians protesting in northern Gaza demanding an end to the war, chanting "Hamas out, out" in an exceptional expression of opposition against the armed group.

Northern Gaza areas are among those most severely destroyed during the conflict that erupted following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The majority of buildings in this densely populated area have been reduced to rubble, and many residents have been displaced multiple times fleeing the confrontations.

One of the videos circulating on "X" showed protesters chanting: "Out, out, out, Hamas get out," apparently recorded in the Beit Lahia area of Gaza on Tuesday. The post showed people moving through a street among buildings demolished by the war.

In other posts, one of the banners carried by protesters read: "Stop the war," "Enough displacement," expressing their rejection of continued suffering.

What draws attention to these seemingly spontaneous marches is that they were not limited to calls for ending the fighting, but carried growing resentment toward Hamas, which many hold responsible for the tragic situation they are living through.

Among chants calling for freedom and peace, protesters carried slogans denouncing the continuation of fighting and demanding the departure of leaders who have brought nothing but more destruction. "We want to live," "Enough destruction," and "Hamas, out, out" were some of the slogans echoing throughout the town, expressing escalating anger toward the movement controlling Gaza since 2007.

Mohammed Al-Kilani, an Arabic language teacher and father of two who lost his job after the school where he worked was destroyed in an airstrike, states: "We're not just numbers in news bulletins; we're people with homes, families, and dreams. We're tired of wars that repeatedly steal our lives."

Gaza citizens increasingly feel trapped in a conflict that serves only political interests while they bear the heaviest price.

Abu Khaled Abu Riash, a 50-year-old store owner, lost everything after his shop was destroyed in the bombing, finding himself and his family without shelter or income.

He comments bitterly: "My livelihood is gone, my home destroyed, my children displaced, and they still tell us to be patient. Hamas asks us to be patient, but they live safely and their children aren't under bombardment," reflecting the widening gap between people's suffering and the movement's leadership rhetoric.

Demonstrations in Gaza are typically driven by calls from Palestinian organizations, but this time they emerged from the heart of the street, without apparent guidance or leadership, indicating the change in public mood toward Hamas and its administration of the Strip.

Observers believe these protests may pose an unprecedented challenge to the movement accustomed to silencing any opposing voice. Palestinian experts and analysts report that Hamas must address this growing public anger, warning that ignoring the voices of residents who can no longer bear more will put the situation in a dark tunnel in the coming period.

Hundreds of thousands of residents who had previously fled to southern Gaza during the war returned to their demolished homes in the north when the truce took effect in January. The war has claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Palestinians so far, according to official statistics.

The two-month truce ended after Israel resumed its attacks on March 18, issuing evacuation instructions to residents. During the ceasefire, Hamas handed over additional hostages from the approximately 250 captives it took to Gaza during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which also resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people in Israel according to its official statistics.

Palestinian health officials announced that about 700 people, mostly women and children, have died since Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza with the aim of dismantling Hamas completely, as it declares.

Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 after elections in which it defeated the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) led by President Mahmoud Abbas. It has dominated the Strip since then with little room for opposition. Some Palestinians exercise caution in speaking publicly against the movement for fear of retaliation, but the current tragic conditions have pushed many to express their rejection of the status quo.