Hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday gathered in northern Gaza to protest against the militant group Hamas amid the ongoing war against Israel. The protesters shouted anti-Hamas slogans and called for an end to the war, videos shared on social media forums and media reports said. 

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At least one appeal to protest had circulated on Tuesday on the social media network Telegram. As quoted by news agency AFP, Mohammed, a demonstrator, said, "I don't know who organised the protest." He declined to give his last name for fear of reprisals. 

"I took part to send a message on behalf of the people: Enough with the war," he said, adding that he had seen "members of the Hamas security forces in civilian clothing breaking up the protest". 

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As quoted, Majdi, another protester who did not wish to give his full name, said, "People are tired". "If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn't Hamas give up power to protect the people?" he asked. 

The Guardian mentioned in its report that the protests took place in front of the Indonesian hospital in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. 

The report stated that hundreds of people attended these protests as they chanted "Hamas out" and "Hamas terrorists" in Beit Lahia, where the crowd had gathered a week after the Israeli army resumed its intense bombing after nearly two months of a truce. 

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Some of the protesters were seen carrying banners with slogans, such as "Stop the war" and "We want to live in peace". Videos showed that they were also chanting, "Where is the press?" and "Where are journalists?" 

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Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

What do Gazans want? 

It's difficult to ascertain what exactly do Gazans want as there are different levels of discontent towards Hamas among people in Gaza. 

The last available survey was conducted in September by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR).

It estimated that 35 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza said they supported Hamas, and 26 per cent said they supported its rival Fatah, the party of Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas. 

Israel regularly calls for Gazans to mobilise against the Islamist movement that has been in power in the territory since 2007. 

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Israel-Hamas war

More than 17 months of war between Israel and Hamas have left the Gaza Strip in ruins, and the humanitarian situation has gotten worse once more after Israel banned aid from entering the region on March 2. Israel claimed to have put pressure on the terrorists so that they release the remaining hostages. 

Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which claimed 1,218 lives, primarily civilians, according to an AFP count based on official numbers. The attack started the war. 

The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled region of Gaza reports that at least 50,021 persons, primarily civilians, have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israel's retaliatory military attack. 

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(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.