Pakistan, March 20 -- Gaza has seen regular protests along the Israeli border for the past year, but new demonstrations in recent days have been much less to the liking of the strip's rulers Hamas.

Over the course of several days beginning last week, hundreds of Palestinians gathered in multiple locations in protests against rising prices but also in opposition to the Islamist group, which has controlled Gaza since 2007.

Hamas security forces cracked down harshly, beating protesters and arresting hundreds, rights groups say.

Demonstrations have since petered out, though organisers have called for fresh rallies in the coming days.

United Nations envoy Nickolay Mladenov on Sunday condemned a "campaign of arrests and violence" by Hamas s...