Gaza: Fatah Urges Hamas to Relinquish Power to Protect Palestinian Existence Amid Israeli Escalation

Gaza City, March 22, 2025, 10:21 AM PDT – The Fatah movement, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, called on Saturday for Hamas to step down from power in Gaza to safeguard the “existence of Palestinians” as Israel intensifies its military operations and threatens mass displacement and annexation of parts of the territory. Mounther al-Hayek, Fatah’s spokesperson in Gaza, made the appeal in a statement to AFP, reflecting growing desperation amid Israel’s escalating actions, as reported on X by @FatahGaza and Al Jazeera.

Fatah’s Plea to Hamas

Al-Hayek warned, “Hamas must show compassion for Gaza, its children, women, and men. We warn of difficult, harsh, and painful days ahead for Gaza’s residents.” He urged the Islamist group to “leave the governmental scene and fully recognize that the battle ahead [if they remain in power] will lead to the end of Palestinians’ existence” in Gaza. This public call, shared on X, echoes sentiments among some Gazans exhausted by the ongoing war and destruction following Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, per The Guardian.

Since 2007, Hamas has controlled Gaza after forcibly ousting Fatah’s Palestinian Authority administration, and all reconciliation attempts between the two factions have failed, as noted in en.wikipedia.org’s entry on the Fatah-Hamas conflict. Al-Hayek’s statement, a rare public critique from within Gaza, signals deepening fractures amid Israel’s military pressure, as reported by Reuters.

Context of Israeli Escalation

Israel intensified its operations in Gaza on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, breaking a ceasefire that began on January 19 after 15 months of conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians, per AFP. The Israeli government, bolstered by U.S. support under President Donald Trump, claims the escalation is necessary to secure the release of 58 hostages still held in Gaza, including 34 declared dead, as stated on X by @IDF. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the strikes, killing at least 413 people since Tuesday, are “just the beginning,” per The Times of Israel.

Israel has cut humanitarian aid to Gaza since March 2 and launched targeted ground operations, demanding Hamas’s disarmament and Gaza’s complete demilitarization, per NBC News. Several Israeli ministers have threatened to deport parts of Gaza’s population and annex territory, escalating fears of ethnic cleansing, as reported by Al Jazeera on March 21, 2025. Posts on X, like @IsraelDefense’s, defend the actions as “essential for security,” while @GazaVoice decries them as “genocidal.”

Hamas’s Stance and Stalled Talks

Hamas, which insists on implementing the second phase of the January truce—calling for a permanent ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and humanitarian aid access—remains open to indirect negotiations but rejects Israel’s demands, per @HamasInfo on X. The group accuses Israel of sabotaging the truce, as stated in a March 20 Telegram post, reposted on X by @PalestineNow. However, stalled mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. have left the conflict unresolved, per The Washington Post.

Humanitarian Crisis and Regional Reaction

The renewed violence has worsened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, with over 48,570 Palestinians killed since October 2023, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s Monday update, shared on X by @GazaHealthMin. Families are fleeing north Gaza amid rubble, as shown in X videos by @UNRWA, facing severe shortages due to Israel’s blockade, per UNICEF’s March 2025 report on x.com.

Fatah’s call reflects growing alarm among Palestinians, with some Gazans privately criticizing Hamas’s governance, per The New York Times. Egypt and Turkey have condemned Israel’s actions, while the UN’s Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire, per UN News. Posts on X, like @ArabVoice’s, show solidarity with Fatah’s stance, while @HamasSupport defends its resistance.