In a rare show of dissent, anti-Hamas slogans were shouted by some protesters as hundreds of people gathered in northern Gaza to call for an end to the war.
Demonstrators could be seen calling for Hamas to go “outside,” in one video verified by NBC News which showed scores of people amassed in the city of Beit Lahia on Tuesday.
Most were calling for an end to the 17-month conflict and Israel’s offensive which has seen more than 50,000 people killed in the Hamas-run enclave since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
“We don’t want destruction; we don’t want war; we want to live,” one man can be heard saying in another video shared on social media and verified by NBC News showing scores of people amassed in the city of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Tuesday.
Children were also pictured carrying signs saying “We refuse to die” at the rally in the city, much of has been reduced to rubble during the conflict.
Others in the crowd which appeared to be mostly made up of men shouted “Hamas out” and “Hamas terrorists,” according to the Agence France Presse news agency which had at least one reporter on the scene.
It was not immediately clear who organized the protest, but NBC News’ crew on the ground reported plans were circulating for further demonstrations Wednesday. Hamas did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
