Netanyahu threatens to seize land as 'Hamas out' protests in Gaza enter day 2

Benjamin Netanyahu has again warned that Israel will seize land in Gaza if Hamas does not release the remaining Israeli hostages. Meanwhile, for the second day in a row, hundreds of Palestinians protested against Hamas, calling for an end to the war.

The Israeli prime minister’s remarks came a week after Israel restarted its military operation in Gaza. The battle between the Palestinian armed group and Israel resumed after a brief but fragile ceasefire, which came into effect on 19 January.

“The more Hamas continues in its refusal to release our hostages, the more powerful the repression we exert will be,” Netanyahu told a hearing in parliament.

More from World

How anti-Hamas protests in Gaza are a rare show of dissent Hamas spokesperson Qanoua killed in Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza

“I say this to my colleagues in the Knesset, and I say it to Hamas as well: this includes the seizure of territories, along with other measures I will not elaborate on here,” he said.

Protests in Gaza enter day 2

Thousands of Palestinians marched through the ruins of a devastated town in northern Gaza on Wednesday, marking the second day of anti-war protests. Many of the protesters voiced rare public anger against Hamas.

The protests, mostly in northern Gaza, called for an end to 17 months of deadly conflict with Israel, as the war has made life unbearable in the territory.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Hamas known for suppressing its critics

Open criticism of Hamas is rare in Gaza, where the group has violently suppressed dissent in the past.

In Beit Lahiya, where protests also erupted on Tuesday, around 3,000 people marched, chanting, “The people want the fall of Hamas.” In Gaza City’s war-torn Shijaiyah neighbourhood, dozens of men shouted, “Out, out, out! Hamas, get out!”

“Our children have been killed. Our houses have been destroyed,” said Abed Radwan, who said he joined the protest in Beit Lahiya “against the war, against Hamas and the (Palestinian political) factions, against Israel, and against the world’s silence.”