Hamas dismisses Gaza protests as 'serving foreign interests' as unrest enters third day

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Palestinian protests against Hamas in northern Gaza entered their third day while Israeli forces encircled a Rafah neighborhood in the southern part of the Strip on Thursday.

In the terror group's first official response to the demonstrations, Hamas official Basem Naim told the Qatari channel Al-Araby that "demonstrations are expected from people facing extermination, against war and destruction" and claimed the Palestinians were protesting against Israel.

"People are calling to stop the aggression, but the enemy and other parties with political agendas are diverting the spontaneous protests to serve the occupation's agenda and trying to portray it as if the demonstrators are against the resistance," Naim said.

He claimed that people characterizing the protests as against Hamas "serve [foreign] interests."

Palestinians have been demonstrating in Beit Lahiya, Shejaya and Jabaliya calling for an end to the war and demanding that Hamas relinquish control of Gaza. Protesters chanted "Hamas out" and held signs reading "Stop the war" and "We want to live in peace."

Others were heard saying that Hamas was "hiding among the youth, and we are the ones suffering."

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