From the Liveblog of
Friday, June 26, 2026
Armed Hamas operatives seen deployed in Gaza streets to crack down on protests against group
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent
Footage circulating on social media appears to shows armed Hamas operatives deployed in the streets across the Gaza Strip to prevent demonstrations as part of the day of protest.
The footage is difficult to verify and has not been published by the major media outlets in Gaza where Hamas has been threatening civilians against taking part in the protests
HORRIFIC: Hamas militias are deploying their armed, masked men into the streets across the Gaza Strip to crush the protests. pic.twitter.com/PbtAmnJ1jO
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) June 26, 2026
However, a resident of central Gaza, who asked not to be named due to concerns for his safety, confirmed to The Times of Israel that masked men affiliated with Hamas have been present in the last couple of hours in the streets of Deir al-Balah to prevent protesters from gathering.
The resident also says a small number of people took part in anti-Hamas demonstrations in Gaza City and other parts of northern Gaza, while people stayed home in central Gaza amid Hamas warnings on social media against participating in the rallies.
Media outlets affiliated with Hamas have published footage showing empty intersections where protests had been planned, declaring the “Failure of the June 26 Revolution.”
To suppress mass demonstrations against its rule by Palestinians in Gaza, Hamas terrorists split up in multiple teams including 2 examples in these photos: ISIS-like strike forces to shoot & kill; & fake "journalists" pretending to cover the protests to arrest any demonstrators. pic.twitter.com/vxXpul9sYu
— Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (@afalkhatib) June 26, 2026
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