March 27, 2025

by Dr. Walid Phares

and Gazelle Sharmahd

Since Monday, an extraordinary wave of protests has erupted across Gaza in open defiance of Hamas. What began with hundreds of civilians has grown into a powerful grassroots movement—thousands are now in the streets, unarmed and chanting slogans never before heard so loudly and clearly inside Gaza:

• “Hamas barra barra” (“Hamas out, out!”)

• “Hamas is a terrorist organization!”

• “We want to live, let us live!”

• “No wars, we want it to stop now!”

• “Release the hostages!”

These calls signal a profound shift. While anti-Hamas sentiments have long existed within the population, they were routinely and brutally suppressed. What we are witnessing now is not spontaneous—it is the eruption of months of silent resentment, escalating repression, and growing desperation that has led to mass mobilization.

The Cracks Were Already Forming

As early as January 2024, while Islamist-led protests on Western campuses hailed Hamas as “freedom fighters” and called for a new intifada, many Gazan civilians were silently rejecting that narrative. Many were fleeing the war zones and blaming Hamas directly for their suffering. This was a critical divergence: on the ground, Hamas was losing whatever false legitimacy it had gained through years of propaganda.

Two key developments underscored the shift:

1. Civilians escaping the conflict zones openly condemned Hamas for triggering the war.

2. Footage surfaced of Hamas fighters—a jihadist group—torturing young Palestinians who refused to fight or dared to criticize the regime.

These acts did not intimidate—they ignited. Today’s protestors, mostly young men of fighting age, have chosen to resist without weapons, knowing the cost. Their unarmed stance exposes Hamas as not only a terrorist organization under international law, but also as an oppressor of its own people.

A Strategic Trap for Hamas

Hamas now faces a no-win scenario:

• If it responds with violence, it risks massacring unarmed Palestinians on camera, shredding its last threads of false credibility it had gained through its propaganda networks.

• If it allows the protests to continue, the movement may gain enough momentum to spark a full-scale civilian uprising across Gaza—and potentially the West Bank.

Indeed, this movement is spreading. What began in northern Gaza is reaching the south. Protests are now emerging in the West Bank, beyond Hamas’ control.

Who Stands to Gain? Who Stands to Lose?

Some speculate Hamas is permitting this revolt as part of a manipulation strategy—to force a ceasefire deal, ease pressure, or shift blame to Israel and the West. Others suspect the Palestinian Authority may be seeking to regain influence in Gaza by capitalizing on public anger. But regardless of the power struggles behind the scenes, one fact is clear: this is a movement of the people, not of factions.

And these people are not calling for new rulers—they’re demanding freedom, safety, and a life without war.

Where Is the World?

We call on Israel and trusted international actors to immediately coordinate the creation of civilian protection corridors and demilitarized safe zones. These must be placed under joint Israeli-international control, excluding Hamas and other jihadist forces entirely. Such zones would provide urgent refuge for demonstrators and families seeking freedom, and begin to isolate Hamas from the population it seeks to control. 

The Stakes

This revolt is not a distraction. It is a test—of Hamas’ grip on the population and Israel’s strategy to fight Islamic terrorism, and of the world’s moral clarity. These young Gazans are not carrying rifles; they are carrying truth. They are calling for help, for protection, and for a future.

It’s time to listen and respond.

Dr Walid Phares is a former Foreign Policy advisor to Donald Trump. Gazelle Sharmahd is a freedom advocate. They are co-Presidents of Educate America platform and co-hosts of the War and Freedom podcast.