A new Gaza-based protest effort, calling itself the “July 26 Revolution,” is urging residents to take to the streets this Friday, July 26, and demonstrate against Hamas rule. Organizers say the movement reflects growing anger over the war and the severe living conditions inside the Strip.
The campaign is being run by activists both inside Gaza and outside it. The most prominent figure is Abdelhamid Abdel-Ati, who left Gaza during the war and now lives in Egypt, where he operates social media pages calling for participation in the planned protests. Another activist, Amin Awad, said he has already paid a heavy price for criticizing Hamas, saying he was attacked and badly beaten by Hamas thugs during the war. In a video he posted, he said, “All the activists in the Gaza Strip have started publishing calls to take part in these protests.”
The organizers argue that Gaza is at a low point: the IDF controls more than 60 percent of the territory, many residents are living in tents among the ruins, and public anger is increasingly directed at Hamas. They say Hamas is also complicating talks in Cairo with mediators and representatives of Donald Trump, delaying the move to the next stage of Trump’s plan to rehabilitate the Strip. One activist said, “Where are you? We are on the roads, on sidewalks. They do not even let us stay on the sidewalk, and they ask us for money to live in a plot of land.”
A source identified only as M., a young Gazan involved in the campaign who withheld his name for fear of his life, told the outlet the movement is “the voice of the people of Gaza” and not something viewers will hear on Al Jazeera. He said, “This is a revolution that comes only from the people. From the oppression and the abuse of the people. The revolution comes from within the tents.” The Arabic newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that Hamas security services have been told to stay on alert on the protest day and intervene if needed. It remains unclear how many Gazans will actually dare to join the demonstrations, and the organizers are hoping to find out on Friday.
