The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
The following information is based on a general overview of a social media account demonstrating jihadi terror-related activity / sympathies.
Alaa' Gadoha is a Palestinian actor and artist who lives in Gaza and supports Hamas. He describes himself as "a Palestinian refugee from Jaffa, living in the Gaza Strip which is under siege, who believes that resistance is the only option for the liberation of Palestine." Gadoha appeared in a TV series titled, "The Fist of the Freemen," produced by the Hamas movement, that was broadcast during Ramadan 2022, and tells the story of the resistance against Israel in Gaza. In addition to tweets posted during May-June 2022, in which he harshly criticizes the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, Gadoha also posts tweets which incite to perpetrate terrorist attacks against Israel and Jews, especially during periods of escalating tension between Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza.
Twitter account is the main platform used by Gadoha to transmit his messages calling for violence against Israel and Jews. The account was opened in 2022, and as of this writing has more than 1,400 followers. One of the two other people who appear in his profile picture is Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip. It should be noted that while it has not blocked it, Twitter has added the designation "may include potentially sensitive content," to Gadoha's account.
During May 2022, during the tense period which preceded the Jerusalem Day Flag March in Jerusalem and the wave of terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens in the weeks which led up to it, Gadoha posted a series of messages, mainly on Twitter, in praise of the attacks and called for more.
Support For Terrorist Attacks
On May 5, 2022, at 21:54, about an hour and a half after two axe-wielding Palestinians from the village of Rummanah near the West Bank city of Jenin started to attack passersby in the city of Elad in central Israel, Gadoha tweeted the following, "Revenge of the heroes for Al-Aqsa. Revenge of the men for [the location of] the night journey [of the Prophet Muhammad].[1] Our people are resisting everywhere, in Jenin, in Haifa, in 'Ara and in Gaza, in Hebron and in Elad, by means of a knife, a Carlo,[2] an axe, a machete, stones, and Molotov cocktails. We will resist by means of everything possible. #TerroristAttack_Elad."[3]
On May 8, 2022, after a stabbing attack at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, Gadoha shared a photograph of the two knives used by the terrorist with the text, "Practice stabbing and insert the knife of revenge deep in the vital organs of the body." Gadoha added emojis of knives, and a photograph depicting the same text with the two knives in the background and the hashtags: #TerroristAttack_Damascus_Gate, #TerroristAttack_Elad.[4]
On May 10, 2022, when there was rioting at the Al-Aqsa compound, Gadoha posted an image on Twitter depicting an operative armed with a man-portable rocket launcher. The accompanying text in Arabic reads, "The sword of Jerusalem has not been placed in its scabbard, the resistance battles the occupation by means of sacrifice operations." The accompanying hashtags are: #SwordOfJerusalem, #SwordOfJerusalemNotResheathed.[5]
Incitement to Perpetrate Attacks and Operational Advice
In advance of the Israeli Flag March on Jerusalem Day, Gadoha posted messages inciting terrorist attacks. He also posted several video clips, in some of which he appears, which include pragmatic advice about how to perpetrate terrorist attacks and how to build weapons.
On May 24 he posted a video in which he appears with another man, during which they call on Palestinians to slit the throats of the "settlers" with their knives, behead them with their axes, and shoot them with an AK-47 in automatic mode. Another option he proposes is to carry out car-ramming attacks against Israelis in order to "defend" Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In a post accompanying another video clip he tweeted that in light of the plan of "the occupation and the settlers to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on May 29," the residents of Al-Quds, the Muslims who are barricading themselves at the Al-Aqsa compound, residents of the West Bank and Israeli Arabs should watch the video, "so they'll know what they should do to obstruct the march."[6]
Gadoha also posted this video on one of his blocked Facebook pages.
On May 26, 2022 Gadoha posted another video clip portraying him and the same man who appeared in the video referred to above, in which they explain to several masked men how to operate a rifle, how to stab someone, and how to hurl a Molotov cocktail. They stress to the assembled men that they must be prepared for the Flag March. At the end of the video the two urge the residents of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the territories of 1948 to be ready for the march. An accompanying post reads, "Oh youth of the [West] Bank, Al-Quds, and the occupied interior [i.e. the 1948 territories], prepare yourselves. We do not want the march to take place." The hashtags posted with the video are: #MarchOfFlagsWon'tTakePlace, #AlQudsIsARedLine, #OAlAqsaWeAreAtYourCommand.[7]
On May 28, 2022, on his Twitter account, Gadoha shared a video clip in praise of the stabbing and car-ramming attacks perpetrated by Palestinians against Israeli citizens and soldiers, in which he calls to perpetrate similar attacks. A post accompanying the video reads, "For Al-Aqsa, be a man o the son of a proud man," and appears with the hashtags: #AlAqsaRedLine, #FlyYourFlag.[8]
On May 29, 2022, Gadoha tweeted a video clip which explains how to make a flamethrower with household objects.[9]
On May 29, 2022, a few hours prior to the start of the Flag March, in Jerusalem, Gadoha tweeted a cartoon showing a Palestinian stabbing an Israeli soldier with Al-Aqsa in the background and the text, "Anything but Al-Aqsa," with the following hashtags: #Flag_March_Won't_Take_Place, #AlAqsa, #AlAqsa_Red_Line, #AlAqsa_Mosque, #Jerusalem.[10]
The incitement to carry out terrorist attacks continued after the Flag March. On May 30, 2022, Gadoha tweeted Hamas-produced animated films inciting stabbing attacks, car-ramming attacks, shooting, and suicide attacks. In accompanying posts the residents of the West Bank and Jerusalem are urged to mobilize on the frontlines to defend Jerusalem.[11]
Facebook, Instagram, And TikTok
It should be noted that Gadoha also maintains social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, although he appears to be more cautious about what he chooses to post, perhaps for fear of having his accounts blocked.
Gadoha had two Facebook accounts on which, during May 2022, he shared several posts in support of terrorist attacks which also incite to perpetrate them. In May 2022, Gadoha opened an additional account in the name of: Alaa Abu Al-Baraa', which as of this writing has 4,900 friends and 1,160 followers.
Gadoha has 1,600 followers on his Instagram account and he often posts photographs and video clips.
TikTok
Gadoha has 200 followers on TikTok, and to date has posted two video clips on this account.
[1] According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad embarked on a night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem on the back of a legendary riding beast and from there continued to heaven.
[2] A Carlo is an improvised submachine gun manufactured by small workshops in the Palestinian territories.
[3] Twitter, May 5, 2022.
[4] Twitter, May 8, 2022.
[5] Twitter, May 10, 2022; the Sword of Jerusalem campaign, known in Israel as Operation Guardian of the Walls, between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza, took place between May 10 to 21, 2021.
[6] Twitter, May 24, 2022.
[7] Twitter, May 26, 2022.
[8] See MEMRI TV clip: Skit By Gaza Actor Alaa Gadouha Urges Palestinians To Use Knives, Axes, AK-47s, And Cars To Murder Israelis During Sunday's Flag March, May 23, 2022.
[9] Twitter, May 29, 2022.
[10] Twitter, May 29, 2022.
[11] Twitter, May 30, 2022.
Latest Posts
