Tel Aviv, March 29 -- Palestinian protests against Hamas in northern Gaza entered their third day while Israeli forces encircled a Rafah neighborhood in the southern part of the Strip on Thursday.

In the terror group's first official response to the demonstrations, Hamas official Basem Naim told the Qatari channel Al-Araby that "demonstrations are expected from people facing extermination, against war and destruction" and claimed the Palestinians were protesting against Israel.

"People are calling to stop the aggression, but 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," Naim said.

He...