Palestinians in Gaza have protested against Hamas and the war against Israel for two days.

 

Palestinians in Northern Gaza protest against Hamas. NPR/AFP/Getty.

Palestinians in Gaza have protested against Hamas and the war against Israel for the past two days. NPR. The protests have been in the northern city of Beit Lahia and is the first major protest against Hamas since the war began. The protesters are demanding an end to the war and release of Israeli hostages. The new offensive launched by Israel and the blockade they have placed on aid may have caused the protests. Hamas has not allowed open protests since they took control of Gaza 18 years ago. The last major uprising, in 2019, was put down with beatings and imprisonment. It is unclear if Israel will take advantage of the unrest or not. 

My Comment:

A rare positive sign in the Gaza conflict and it's very possible that Hamas is losing control of Gaza. Such protests were not imaginable at any other part of the war and previous protests under Hamas were put down with prejudice. 

I do have to say that I wonder how much of this is natural. Protests have to be organized and I wouldn't be surprised if a foreign intelligence agency, either the Israelis or the Americans, helped do so. It's possible that this was a grassroots protest, but I always wonder when it comes to protests. If there is one thing the CIA and the State Department are good at it's organizing protests and riots in hostile governments. 

Still, in the past I doubt they would have had any results in their efforts. I think there are at least some Palestinians that are sick of the war and know that Hamas can't win it. Though there is obviously a lot of anger for Israel as well, the fact remains that if Hamas had followed the deal they made with Israel, the war would be over now and nobody would be getting bombed and aid would be flowing in the Gaza. 

This may or may not be good for Israel. The hope is that these protesters will either cause Hamas to quit the war or even lead to Hamas being replaced by a new government that won't continue the war. That would obviously be a win for Israel and I am thinking that is the outcome they want. 

But they also have a PR problem from this as well. In the past they could argue, correctly I might add, that there wasn't really any resistance to Hamas, a terrorist organization. With these protests that isn't true anymore and it does raise questions about the morality of their heavy handed strikes. I don't really think this would change anyone's minds on the war, people are too entrenched for that, but it is worth mentioning. 

Either way, I see this as a positive sign that peace talks might resume and that we could see an end to the war. Hamas isn't powerful enough to prevent these protests and that might be even more dangerous to them than the Israeli air strikes and ground operations. If they can't put down these protests they are at risk of losing control of Gaza. Perhaps they will finally wise up and make a serious effort at peace...