Arab Media Figures Slam Hamas: It Is The Real Enemy Of The Gazans, A Subcontractor For Iran

Against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza, liberal Arab journalists and media figures have intensified their criticism of Hamas and its leadership[1] on social media. In numerous posts on their personal accounts, they argued that Hamas is a terrorist organization that serves the interests of Iran while taking Gaza back to the Stone Age and bringing a catastrophe and a second Nakba upon the Palestinian people. The writers directed sharp criticism at the movement's leaders, who live in luxury hotels outside Gaza while showing indifference to the suffering of the Gazans and using them as human shields for Hamas' operatives. The writers also expressed outrage at the execution of Israeli hostages in Hamas tunnels and called on Hamas to agree to a prisoner exchange deal in order to end the war. Some of them also called on Arab countries to act against Hamas to put an end to the destruction and the tragedy in Gaza.

The following is a sampling of these posts:

It Is A Disgrace To Defend Hamas, Which Is Torturing And Murdering The Hostages

Many of the journalists and media figures attacked Hamas for its immoral and inhuman behavior in holding, torturing and murdering the Israeli hostages. Liberal Egyptian author Dalia Ziada, who resides in the U.S., shared pictures of six hostages who were murdered by Hamas in a tunnel in late August, and wrote: "They were kidnapped, tortured inside a tunnel, and then killed by Hamas terrorists…  and some people are still advocating for Hamas in the West, and some others still trust Hamas as a “negotiator” on ceasefire! Want a hostage deal? This is how Hamas understands what a hostage deal means!"[2]

Lebanese journalist Hussein Abd Al-Hussein also came out against the murder of the six hostages, commenting: "This is 'resistance?' This is 'free Palestine?' To kidnap people from their homes, torture them, execute them at point blank [range]? This is the revival of Islamic Caliphate, Arab Greatness? Shame! Everyone who’s still defending Hamas, including demanding a ceasefire, this is on you."[3]

​Emirati social media influencer Loay Al-Sharif wrote about the same incident: "My deepest condolences to my American and Israeli friends on the devastating news of the death of hostages who celebrated life on October 7 and were kidnapped by the evil malevolent Hamas, which has also brought mayhem to the Palestinians."[4]

On August 20, after the body of the Israeli hostage Avraham Munder was retrieved from Gaza, Palestinian journalist Ayman Khaled, who writes on the Saudi news website Elaph, wrote: "A 79-year-old Israeli hostage died in Gaza. O Hamas, what was he doing in Gaza? Based on what religious law was a man that age captured?"[5]

Hamas Has Brought Disaster Upon Gaza And Is The True Enemy Of Palestine; Sinwar Was A Criminal

Many of the writers claimed that Hamas is not a resistance movement but a terror organization that has destroyed Gaza and brought disaster upon its people, and whose leaders are criminals.

Lebanese journalist Nadim Koteich wrote after the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar: "Yahya Sinwar was finally forced to exit the 'Sin-War' he proudly dragged Gaza into, leaving Palestinians with nothing but rubble, tears, and more suffering."[6]

Yemeni journalist Hussein Al-Waday posted: "Among [Sinwar's] achievements [are the following]: destroying Gaza, subordinating the Palestinian cause to the interests of the Iranian patron, bringing about a second Nakba, paving the way to the destruction of Lebanon, and presenting the criminal entity [Israel] with excuses to eliminate the [Palestinian] cause on a silver platter…"[7]

Liberal Egyptian author Dalia Ziada wrote after Sinwar's elimination: "In case you do not know, here is a reminder: #Sinwar was not a 'freedom fighter.' He was hated by the people of Gaza because of the brutality of his militia men who stole the money and food of the Gaza people on regular basis. #Hamas is not a “resistance movement.” It is a terrorist organization that targeted innocent civilians in Israel, Gaza, and even my country Egypt. The number of people harmed by Hamas are too many to count. I am for one my life was subverted last year because of these terrorists and their sympathizers! Let this nightmare come to an end! Let the Middle East breathe again!"[8]

Saudi businessman and blogger Monther Aal Sheikh Mubarak shared statements made bv Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al on the anniversary of the October 7 attack, in which he said that the losses suffered by the Palestinian people, including the numerous deaths, were merely "tactical." Mubarak commented: "Khaled Mash'al says on video that the tens of thousands of dead and wounded, the hundreds of thousands of people displaced, the homes and mosques destroyed and the women widowed are 'tactical losses.' Imagine the residents of Gaza hearing that what happened to them is a tactical [matter]!..."[9]

Saudi social media influencer Abdullah Al-Tawila'i wrote on October 30, 2024, addressing Hamas: "Why don't you want a two-state solution? Why don't you want peace? Why do you want the suffering of the Palestinian people to continue? Why don't you want a life of dignity for the Palestinians, without expulsion, killing and destruction? Why do you ignite a war almost once  every two years?" He then added, "The answer is this," and shared a picture of Hamas leader Osama Hamdan captioned "[Hamdan] arrives in Mauritania to receive funds."[10]

Palestinian journalist Ayman Khaled posts many messages on his X account criticizing Hamas and its insistence on ruling Gaza, conduct which, he says, harms the Palestinian cause. On November 7, 2024 he wrote: "We expected Hamas to have a tiny bit of compassion for the Gazans and leave [the Strip], but, in all the previous rounds of negotiations, it perpetrated the worst act of betrayal by insisting on remaining in power there at the expense of the suffering people."[11] In an earlier post, from July 1, 2024, he wrote: "Hamas has taken Gaza back to the Stone Age and sees this as an important achievement. Political Islam is a plague."[12] On March 16, 2024 he shared a picture of Yahya Sinwar and commented: "The one who destroyed Gaza is a criminal, not a hero."[13]

​

Hamas' Leaders Live In Fancy Hotels While Starving The Gazans And Using Them As Human Shields

Many of the writers slammed Hamas for living in luxury outside the country while ignoring the devastation they have brought upon the people of Gaza and while using them as human shields. On October 7, 2024, after Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al gave a speech on the anniversary of the October 7 attack, Saudi writer Jihad Al-Obaid shared pictures of Mash'al dining and exercising at a luxury hotel and remarked: "Khaled Mash'al demands that the Arab countries provide financial support for Gaza and that the peoples 'take to the streets to pressure their countries [to support the Gazans].' Take note, he thanks Iran for its support, implying that its part is done. He absolves it of responsibility and does not demand any money from it. However, he wants the [Arab] peoples to revolt and create chaos in their countries. Oh mercenary, may Allah curse you!"[14]

Saudi journalist Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khames, the former editor of the Al-Majallah magazine and the London-based daily Al-Arab, posted on his X account: "…Khaled Mash'al emerged from his luxury suite at the hotel and declared that the October 7 attack 'has returned Israel to point zero.' Is he serious? I wonder, has Mash'al walked around the neighborhoods of Gaza and seen for himself who has truly returned to the point below zero? Has he seen the devastation everywhere or the families left without shelter? Or does he prefer to ignore the sights of the displaced [camps], the diseases and the poverty because they contradict the myth that he peddles to his public [?]… Is it not absurd that the one who talks about point zero lives a life of luxury that is so far removed from the reality that the people [of Gaza] are paying the price for every day?..."[15]

Saudi writer Fahd Deepaji shared a cartoon of Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al, who in late August called to renew the suicide attacks against Israel. The cartoon shows Mash'al having a sumptuous meal in fancy surroundings and saying, "O young people of the nation, o men, go forth and protest in the squares. We need to carry out suicide attacks throughout the Arab countries." Deepaji commented: "This is one of the leaders of Iran's plan and one of its subcontractors [handling] the Palestinian cause." [16]

In another post Deepaji shared a cartoon showing Palestinians buried under the rubble but still making the victory sign, and wrote: "'Gaza has won,' say the media of [Iran's] subcontractors."[17]

Saudi journalist Ibrahim Al-Suleiman wrote on his X account on August 8, 2024: "After Khaled Mashal's calculated adventures, he is today inciting to suicide operations!! The most despicable person is someone who sacrifices others while sitting in hotels and palaces and enjoying a peaceful life with billions [of dollars]."[18]

In another post from July 14, 2024, Al-Suleiman wrote, referring to the elimination of Hamas official Rafa' Salama in Khan Younis: "This is Hamas. They either [hide] like mice in their holes and leave the unarmed people to pay the price of their foolish actions, or else come out of their holes and turn the citizens into barriers and human shields, thus causing their death!!"[19] On July 13, 2024 he shared statements by a displaced Palestinian in Gaza, alongside pictures of Hamas leaders dining in luxury, and wrote: "Hamas leaders are indifferent to the wounded as they dine at the fanciest tables."[20]

Jordanian filmmaker and scriptwriter Nisreen Al-Sbeihi, who lives in Britain, posted: "Hamas is the real enemy of the people of Gaza. Its militias take over the aid that [various] countries provide for free in order to assuage the hunger of the people of Gaza, and store it away in order to sell it to them!... Yes, the real enemy of Palestine is Hamas!!"[21]

In another post she wrote: "…Hamas carries out most of its operations from the heart of the refugee camps, while using the people as human sheilds for its political and military officials, and while the meida supports it and pretends to weep over this bloodshed… Hamas continues to implement its plan and has already sacrificed the lives of over 40,000 people, [with] over 100,000 wounded and crippled and more than 1.5 million people displaced – just in order to stir up the spirit of revolution."[22]

On March 3,  2024 Saudi businessman and blogger Monther Aal Sheikh Mubarak shared a picture of Hamas political leaders and commented: "Their faces are smiling and their bellies are full, while the faces of the people of Gaza are sad and they are starving."[23]  

 

Hamas Has Turned The Palestinian Cause Into A Bargaining Chip For Iran

The journalists and media figures also condemned Hamas for serving Iran and allowing this country to use the Palestinian cause to ignite the region in order to further its interests at the Gazans' expense.

Dr. Muhammad Al-Quaiz, a Saudi writer and poet, wrote on October 18, 2024, following the elimination of Yahya Sinwar: "The Gazans are the ones who elected Hamas in 2006 with a majority of 44%, yet [this movement] conspired with the enemies of Islam: Iran and its axis. Today they are reaping the fruits of this decision in bloodshed and destruction. This is a lesson for anyone who bets on political Islam, and how heavy the price is…"[24] On July 31, after the elimination of Isma'il Haniya, Al-Quaiz wrote: "Isma'il Haniya is dead. He wasn't killed on the front in Palestine, or in any Arab country. He was killed while conspiring with another enemy [of the Arabs, i.e., Iran] in the capital of conspiracy and treachery [Tehran]."[25]

Saudi writer Saleh Al-Fahid responded to statements made by Khaled Mash'al at Isma'il Haniya's funeral, in which he said that Hamas had abandoned “sister countries” (without specifying which countries he meant).[26] Al-Fahid wrote: “You left these countries after you staged a coup against the Palestinian Authority and divided the Palestinian ranks, while maintaining exclusive control over Gaza and separating it from the West Bank in order to establish your monstrous mini-state, thus weakening the Palestinian cause... You left these countries after you threw yourselves into the arms of the ayatollahs in Tehran and turned the Palestinian cause into a bargaining chip in Khamenei's pocket."^[27]

Saudi researcher Kassab Al-Otaibi slammed Haniya for his loyalty to Iran at the expense of the Palestinian people and the Arab countries, writing: "Personally, I did not celebrate Haniya's death, even though he and his movement harmed my country, especially through their political and military support for the Houthis, as evident in speeches, images, videos and positions. [Haniya] lost his compass, and Hamas as a whole threw itself into the arms of Iran and adopted [the latter's] political, intellectual and ideological perceptions. He was assassinated as a result of an easy, cold-blooded betrayal, after [Iran's Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei gained total control of Hamas and its decisions, the latest of which was the decision to [launch] the October 7 [campaign] that completely destroyed Gaza and caused it to be occupied and its people to be killed and displaced…"[28]

Algerian liberal Anwar Malek, who lives in Paris, wrote on April 14: "[Here’s] Hamas's new farce regarding what it calls 'The Al-Aqsa Flood,' [whose] real name [should have been] the [Qassem] Soleimani Flood: As you know, this operation was carried out by Hamas, Iran's subcontractor, on October 7, [2023,] to further the interests of the ayatollahs... Hamas' leaders are hiding in Qatar and Beirut, the pimps take shelter in the tunnels, while the rest of the people, hungry and sick, struggle with their fate in collapsing tents..."[29]

The Arab States Must Convict Hamas And "Throw It Out"

Some of the writers directed criticism at the Arab states for not demanding that Hamas release the Israeli hostages and for letting it control the fate of the Gazans, and called on them to come out against this movement.

For example, Palestinian journalist Ayman Khaled wrote on August 29, 2024: "Khaled Mash'al is calling to renew the suicide bombings. The extremist Hamas movement has returned to its roots. What is needed is an official Arab voice to declare Hamas a criminal organization.”

Saudi journalist Saleh Al-Fahid wrote on August 6, 2024: "Giving up on Hamas does not mean giving up on the Palestinian cause. The Palestinian address is clear, and it is the legitimate Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, which is recognized by both the Arabs and the international [community] and enjoys broad Arab support. Hamas is merely a faction that carried out a coup against the Palestinian Authority and has maintained exclusive control over Gaza, just like the Houthis did in Yemen – and both are proxies of Iran."[30]

Emirati commentator Dr. Salem Al-Ketbi posted on May 28, 2024: 'The Arabs were wrong to let that madman... Yahya Sinwar manage the greatest crisis in modern Arab history, control the fate of the people of Gaza and take them hostage in an attempt to achieve a fictitious victory over Israel. The result is more Palestinian victims and Israeli hostages dying every day..."[31]

Senior Kuwaiti journalist Ahmad Al-Jarallah, editor of the dailies Al-Siyassa and Arab Times, called on Arabs to “throw Hamas out,“ writing on his X account: "The Arab League must act. It and the Arabs must throw out Hamas and its supporters, who sold Gaza to Israel... What has the Palestinian cause gained from what  Yahya Sinwar and his partner in injustice and lies, Mohammed Deif, did so recklessly and without consideration? They lie to the Palestinian people when they say that what happened [i.e., the October 7 attack] placed the Palestinian cause back on the international agenda. I condemn [Sinwar] for this ridiculous excuse. The Arabs are entitled to throw out Hamas and this madness and bring in a government that knows how to deal with the Palestinian issue."[32]

Saudi journalist Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khames wrote on February 11, 2024: "Why don’t the Arabs demand that Hamas release the elderly, children, and women hostages in order to allow a ceasefire? Why is there no criticism of those who caused all this destruction and killing? [How about] a bit of self-criticism[?]"[33]

 

* C. Meital is a research fellow at MEMRI; H. Varulkar is Director of Research at MEMRI.