Al-Jazeera, Palestinian media silent over Gaza protests

As thousands of Palestinians took to the Gazan streets in anti-Hamas protests, many asked: ‘Where are you, Al Jazeera?’. The news outlet has remained almost silent on the rallies.

Palestinians chant slogans during rare anti-Hamas protests in Gaza. Picture; AP.

As thousands of Palestinians took to Gaza’s streets in rare anti-Hamas protests this week, many held signs that demanded to know: “Where are you, Al Jazeera?”.

The Qatar-based media outlet, one of the few able to operate in the Hamas controlled enclave, was noticeable by its absence during the days-long protests against the militant group.

The mainly young men taking part in the largest rallies since the war began have been defiant in the face of a possible crackdown by Hamas, which controls the enclave of about two million people with an iron fist.

“Tyrants out,” they cried and “You sold Gaza for dollars,” according to video posted on social media. “Hamas is a terrorist (group).” was another cry.

But there was also repeated criticism of Al-Jazeera, whose reports protesters accused of being too favourable to Hamas.

The broadcaster has been almost totally silent about the rallies.

While Israeli and Western media have reported in depth on the demonstrations, which increasingly challenge Hamas’s rule, Al Jazeera has concentrated its news coverage on Israeli strikes on Gaza. The network’s website has one video on the protests, and that is two days old.

Elsewhere in pro-Hamas media, the silence is equally deafening. The Hamas affiliated Felesteen news also concentrated on Israeli attacks, and condemned strikes that killed two Palestinian journalists, one of whom worked for Al Jazeera and whom the Israeli Defence Forces claim was a Hamas sniper.

Palestinians protest in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip. Picture: AP.

Al-Quds, the largest circulation Palestinian daily, reported that Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had threatened Gaza with “further genocide,” but ignored the fact that in the same comments he’d praised the rallies, telling Palestinians: “Learn from (the protesters) … this is the only way to end the war.”

Meanwhile, the Qatari channel al-Araby ran an interview about the protests with senior Hamas official Basem Naim.

Mr Naim insisted Hamas allowed protests to take place before claiming that these demonstrations were against Israel, not his organisation.

“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,” he said.

“Those who are trying to portray the protests as demonstrations against Hamas are the same people who have been doing this for years from Arab and European cities to serve (foreign) interests.”

The last anti-Hamas protest in Gaza took place in January 2024, when Palestinians called for an end to the war and the end of the terror group’s rule over Gaza. It was brutally put down.

This time around, attempts to quell the demonstrations have failed, with protesters turning on the militants who tried to force them off the streets. At least one Hamas member was beaten by the furious young men marching through the enclave.

But you won’t read that on Palestinian media either.