"Israel's agents, you will pay a price": Hamas warns protestors

Terrorist organizations published a harsh joint statement today (Thursday) following protests in the Strip, which have intensified in recent days. The statement included explicit threats against the protesters: "The protesters will be dealt with accordingly."

In the official statement, criticism was leveled against residents who are holding the "resistance" organizations responsible for the dire humanitarian situation in the Strip. "They insist on blaming the resistance while ignoring the fact that the Zionist killing machine continues to operate non-stop," it read.

During the past week, spontaneous protests have been reported on social media in various parts of the Gaza Strip, where calls were heard against continuing the fighting and accusations were made against Hamas leadership for the suffering of Gaza's residents. These protests are a rare phenomenon in the Strip, where Hamas typically suppresses any expression of opposition to its rule with a heavy hand.

"The suspicious elements calling for ending the resistance and surrendering are ignoring the facts," the terror organizations continued. "Resistance is the legitimate right of our people by all means, primarily armed struggle. Israel is responsible for all damage and suffering caused to the Palestinian people, and it alone bears responsibility and will pay a heavy price for its crimes."

Later in the statement, the protesters were accused of collaborating with Israel: "Those behind these suspicious activities caused Israel to retreat from its position in recent hours, based on the success of these agents in stabbing the resistance in the back. Therefore, these suspects are partners in responsibility - just like Israel - for the bloodshed of our people, and they will be dealt with accordingly."

Testimonies from the Strip indicate that in various locations, calls such as "Our children are hungry" and "Bring back the hostages" were heard. In several cases, confrontations between protesters and Hamas personnel were reported.