An anti-Hamas telegram channel shared three videos Monday that showed Gazans protesting against the terrorist organization in the two separate locations, The Times of Israel reported.
The channel alleged that protests were held in the Hamas-controlled cities of Rafah and Jabalya, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Despite Potential Violent Backlash, Large Crowd Speaks Out Against Hamas By Protesting In Gaza)
Hamas gunmen allegedly opened fire on the crowds in killing one and seriously injuring three others in Jabalya, The Times of Israel reported.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic Spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee tweeted out the three short clips of the protests on Tuesday.
“Videos circulating from Jabalya and Rafah of demonstrations against Hamas leaders The residents of Gaza know the cause of the tragedy in the Gaza Strip and the results of the flood of devastation and terrorism produced by Sinwar and his group,” Lt. Col. Adraee posted in Arabic.
يا سنوار قول لهنية الشعب هو الضحية
ارحل ارحل يا سنوار
اسمع اسمع يا هنية ..ياللا روح من تركيا
اسمع اسمع يا حمدان .. ياللا روح من لبنانفيديوهات متداولة من جباليا ومن رفح لمظاهرات ضد قيادات حماس
سكان غزة يعرفون سبب المأساة في قطاع غزة ونتائج طوفان الخراب والإرهاب من انتاج… pic.twitter.com/8YjtB0BDZD
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) February 21, 2024
All three clips were shot in the dark and appeared to show sizable crowds. Some were seen waving Palestinian flags, and all of the visible protesters appeared to be male. The crowds can be heard shouting a number of slogans in Arabic.
One clip showed the protesters venting their anger at the Hamas leadership’s distance from the sufferings of the ordinary Gazans and inviting them to come back to the Gaza Strip to face the consequences of their own actions. The crowd could be heard chanting “Listen listen [Hamas politburo chief Ismail] Haniyeh, come back home from Turkey, listen listen [senior Hamas official Osama] Hamdan, come back home from Lebanon,” according to The Times of Israel.
In other clips, Gazans could be heard shouting “[Hamas Gaza chief Yahya] Sinwar, Haniyeh, the people are the victims,” “Bring down Hamas,” and “The people want a bag of flour,” the Times of Israel noted.
Protests against Hamas appear to be spreading to the northern Gaza Strip. “O Sinwar O Haniyeh. The people are the victims. Down with Hamas.” pic.twitter.com/Rh8WYjKve6
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) February 20, 2024
The explicit call to “bring down Hamas” came from a protest in the northern city of Jabalya, according to a tweet by Joe Truzman, senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.