Gaza's Unprecedented Public Outcry: Thousands Protest Against Hamas

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in the Gaza Strip to protest chronic power outages and difficult living conditions, in a rare public display of discontent with the Hamas government. The protests, organized by an online movement called "the mocking virus," were quickly dispersed by Hamas security forces. Demonstrators chanted slogans and burned Hamas flags, while police made arrests and destroyed mobile phones of those filming. The closure of Gaza by Israel and Egypt, in response to Hamas seizing control in 2007, has devastated the economy and led to frequent power outages. Protesters also criticized Hamas for deducting fees from stipends given to Gaza's poorest families.