Why protesters in Gaza want Hamas out after more than a year of war

Anti-war protests in Gaza called for Hamas' ouster, with hundreds displaying rare dissent against the militant group that has ruled since 2007.

Protests in Gaza calling for an end to the war with Israel and for Hamas' ouster gathered momentum Wednesday, with hundreds of demonstrators for a second day displaying rare dissent against the militant group that has run the Palestinian enclave for nearly two decades.

"Leave us Hamas. We want to live freely," a crowd chanted in video captured by NBC News' crew on the ground Wednesday at a rally in eastern Gaza City in the north of the strip. Just over five miles away a similar protest took place in Beit Lahia.

The protests began with an initial demonstration Tuesday in Beit Lahia, where protesters chanted anti-Hamas slogans as Palestinians also railed against the resumption of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which has so far killed hundreds of people. Renewed fighting shattered a ceasefire deal after two months of relative calm.

It was not immediately clear who organized the protests or how many joined them with the intention of rallying against Hamas.

But some demonstrators told NBC News' crew that they had reached the limit of their suffering and blamed Hamas for failing to bring an end to the war.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-protests-hamas-war-israel-ceasefire-trump-rcna198315

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