Overview

• Protests have spread to multiple areas in Gaza, including Beit Lahia, Nuseirat, and Deir al Balah, with growing participation over the past three days.
• Demonstrators are calling for an end to the war and improved living conditions, with some openly demanding Hamas relinquish control after 18 years of rule.
• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has encouraged Gazans to continue protests, framing them as a pathway to ending the conflict and removing Hamas from power.
• Hamas has downplayed the protests, describing them as anti-war rather than anti-leadership, while threatening punishment for individuals accused of collaborating with Israel.
• The worsening humanitarian crisis, marked by displacement, starvation, and lack of basic necessities, has fueled public discontent and driven calls for change.