Who's backing the anti-Hamas protests?

A Palestinian source speaking to Israel Hayom today (Wednesday) said that the expanding protests against Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip over the past few days might lead to danger for the terrorist group, as the "barrier of fear" has come down.

A Palestinian source speaking with Israel Hayom said that the escalation and spread of anti-Hamas protests throughout the Gaza Strip is a real threat to the Hamas regime. He argued that this was so not just because of the nature of the protests but also because the "barrier of fear" which Hamas imposed on Gazan society in the last few years has come down.

The source also said that Gazans can no longer tolerate the "oppression and the corruption" and understand that "continued Hamas rule means continued suffering." While many are in a wait and see mode when it comes to the protests, the source said that an expansion of the protests would weaken Hamas rule to an "unprecedented degree," especially in light of the increasing internal and external pressure on the terrorist group.

Protests against Hamas have been going on for a few days now, taking place in the north, center, and south of the Gaza Strip. They are organized by a group known in Arabic as We Want To Live, and which has protested the harsh living conditions in the Gaza Strip for years now.

While the protestors support some of Hamas' aims such as an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of IDF forces from the Strip, they have also increasingly called for Hamas itself to be removed and for further protests to that end on Friday. A number of important local and tribal leaders have joined in on these efforts.

Kann reporter and Arab world analyst Roi Kais said that the scope and extent of the current protests may be a sign of something changing, but he said that so far, the protests have not reached the kind of critical mass needed to force Hamas to act.

The Palestinian Authority and Fatah have openly supported the protests, as they have consistently demanded that full control of the Gaza Strip be handed over to them on the "day after" the war.