Protests in Jerusalem against Netanyahu, in Gaza against Hamas: Tensions rise in the Middle East

La the situation in the Middle East continues to be extremely tense, cwith protests erupting in several areas, both in Israel and the Gaza Strip. On the one hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces popular discontent in Jerusalem and other cities, while on the other hand, Hamas is increasingly challenged in the Gaza Strip by a population exhausted by the conflict. The death toll in recent days is very high: At least 830 dead in a week, while new attacks have caused 12 victims, including 5 children.

Netanyahu Threatens to Escalate Operations in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset that Israel will not hesitate to conquer Gaza if Hamas continues to refuse to release the hostages. "The fighting in Gaza continues and the more Hamas persists in its refusal to release our hostages, the more powerful the pressure we will exert. This includes the seizure of territory and other measures that I will not list here.“, Netanyahu said.

This statement comes as theThe Israeli army (IDF) continues to target several areas of the Gaza Strip, intensifying attacks especially in the Gaza City area and in Khan Younis, where numerous civilian casualties were recorded.

Anti-Hamas protests intensify in Gaza Strip

For the first time in years, Gaza's civilian population is taking to the streets to protest against the Hamas government, accused of dragging the region into a devastating war. The demonstrations took place in several areas, including Jabalia, Beit Lahia, Khan Younis and the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City.

Images circulating on social media show protesters shouting slogans such as “Hamas out” and “No more war”. In Khan Younis, Dozens of residents took part in a march to denounce the Islamist organisation's handling of the crisis. According to witnesses, the demonstrators accuse Hamas of being responsible for the suffering of the population and call for a political solution to end the conflict.

A protester told Agence France-Presse (AFP): “I don't know who organized the protest, but I took to the streets to say enough. We can't tolerate this war anymore. Hamas must go.".

Hamas reacts with a general mobilization

Following protests in Beit Lahia and other cities in the Gaza Strip, Hamas responded with a call for general mobilization in the coming days.The organization called on its supporters to take to the streets to “defend Gaza” and accused Israel of “intensify the massacres against our people with the support of the United States and international silence".

Hamas also called on Arab and Muslim populations to demonstrate in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and called on governments in the region to take a firm stand against “Israeli aggression.”

IDF issues new evacuation order for Gaza City

The Israeli army has issued a new evacuation warning for some neighborhoods in Gaza City, warning residents to leave their homes immediately and head south for safety reasonsAccording to an IDF statement, the order concerns areas from which rockets have been fired toward Israel in the past few hours.

The UN and several humanitarian organizations have denounced the devastating impact of the war on the civilian population, underlining the difficulty for Palestinians to find safe refuge inside the Gaza Strip.

UNRWA denounces humanitarian aid blockade

Juliette Touma, Director of Communications of theUNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees, has denounced that from March 2, no humanitarian aid entered Gaza due to escalating hostilities. "No food, no water, no medicine, no supplies. This is the longest siege imposed on Gaza since the beginning of the conflict and it threatens the survival of millions of people“, he declared at a press conference in Brussels.

The UN has launched an urgent appeal to allow humanitarian access, stressing that the population is now exhausted.

The situation in the region is rapidly deteriorating. On the one hand, The Israeli government continues its offensive against Hamas and threatens to further intensify operations if the hostages are not released.

On the other, the Palestinian population of Gaza, hit hard by the war, is beginning to rebel against Hamas, accusing it of having led the Strip into an unprecedented crisis.

In the meantime, the international community observes with concern the escalation of the conflict, and Humanitarian organizations call for a ceasefire and immediate access for relief. The future of the region remains uncertain, with the risk of a further worsening of the humanitarian crisis.