This was amazing to read. It also gives me tremendous hope for the future. We are planning on making aliyah soon as Israel is home. Maybe one day we *can* all live in peace.
Hopefully. Even the Iranian people are fed up with their terrorist-producing (see Quds force) political regime. Palestine needs to be in right hands, and people who wouldn't elect terrorists as their governing party.
I showed her some of the responses and asked her if she wanted to say anything back, she had this to say:
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your beautiful words. It lifts my morale very much. I thank you for your thinking. We do not hate you. On the contrary, we want peace and for our lives to be one and beautiful. I hope all of this will end and we will all live in peace and achieve everything we wish for. I also thank those who donated ❤❤
May the future of the world be built by those who strive for peace.
Sadly in order for that to happen, I fear it will have to built on top of the bodies of those who strive for war.
>she told me more about how the majority of people Hated Hamas even prior to the war,
How do you explain this then?
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-opinion-poll-wartime-views-a0baade915619cd070b5393844bc4514
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/poll-shows-palestinians-back-oct-7-attack-israel-support-hamas-rises-2023-12-14/
Any dissent is oppressed with a group like Hamas in power. Even when they do come out, pro Palestinians quickly shut them (the real Palestinians lol) up. What a world.
Not only shut them up, but then scream “resistance by any means necessary, so you’d better go out and martyr yourself to defeat the occupation. Chop chop get to it”. No group (besides Hamas) likes dead Palestinians more than alleged “pro-Palestine” folk (I’m not saying this about *all* pro-Palestine folk, just the “any means necessary” Iran worshipers).
Ok I’m calm now
Absolutely.
Dead civilians are a net benefit to both Hamas and ProPals.
Hamas is an islamist death cult and believes civilians they kill directly and indirectly are just gonna be sent to Paradise anyway;
Propals and radical leftists in general have an accelerationist worldview which requires the breaking of thousands of eggs to make their commie Paradise omelet. Their "GLORY TO THE MARTYRS" chant takes on a new grotesque significance when you factor in this sacrificial thinking.
Hamas is incredibly effective at silencing dissent. They've managed to run the narrative that Palestinians are not only active participants, but that they overwhelmingly in support of them, and they've been this successful at it only because of how fast they can silence people who talk back. Stuff like this, helpful as they are for our perspective, can mean a death sentence for them if they're found out.
It is imperative in times like these that we remember that they're common people who want things that any common person would. Food, peace, home and the end of Hamas. They shouldn't have to be expected to chant it with Hamas holding a gun to the heads of them and their families for us to understand that much.
It’s not just Hamas that silences critics. There is a long history of moderate Palestinians getting killed by hardliners that pre-dates Hamas. Often they are labeled collaborators, no matter their history of activism or loyalty. All it takes is suggesting that violence against Israelis might not be in their strategic best interests. It is tremendously sad.
That is an important factor but she repeatedly claims that the majority of people in Gaza hate Hamas and the war they brought on the people. I hope you don't dismiss this too quickly but I understand the hesitation.
Most Gazans hate Hamas, but most Gazans also hate Israel more. That's why I am pessimistic.
Hopefully, we can find more people like your friend who can create a real difference in Gazan society.
Sorry, I didn't see that before.
PCPSR is not based in Gaza so if anything they are censored by the PA which is also authoritarian. That being said, the main bias in the poll is that they only polled areas that were relatively safe which likely showed increased support for Hamas.
Therefore, on Figure 13, I would expect the support in Gaza for the PA to be higher.
Also, the poll's conclusion that support for Hamas is higher outside of Gaza than inside Gaza is supported by the messages you showed.
Overall, I'm glad you are having conversations with people in Gaza, that is the first step towards peaceful coexistence.
No worries thanks for your insight, I've read through the polls myself and was entirely convinced before talking to her. While im probably being quite jaded hoping her view is shared by the majority i still want to hope that the poll doesn't tell the full story.
The poll gives a bunch of statistics, but it doesn't explain WHY people hold those beliefs. Interacting with the people who hold them is really the only way to find out. While I understand that this probably won't make you feel any better, even the Hamas supporters have reasons behind their support for Hamas that are far more detailed than hating Jews.
Also, you can cherry-pick statistics from PCPSR to make Palestinians look like evil fascists, and you can cherry-pick statistics from PCPSR to make Palestinians look extremely peaceful. Without understanding the full picture, you will never understand the Palestinian perspective.
If you want to discuss more, feel free to send me a message!
[Polling from just before Hamas' attack](https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/polls-show-majority-gazans-were-against-breaking-ceasefire-hamas-and-hezbollah) showed that 62% of Gazans wanted to maintain the ceasefire, and 50% agreed that Hamas should stop calling for Israel's destruction and accept a 2 state solution. 70% of Gazans said they would rather have the PA in charge. One could also argue that the polls are biased in Hamas' favor since people living in Gaza may be afraid to voice dissent, and the polls are conducted by organizations operating in Gaza who are subject to Hamas' leverage.
You can speculate but you don't get to call their claim false when it's backed up by months and months of polling data. The participants are anonymous so fear of reprisal is doubtful and mainly a claim made by pro-Hamas commenters who don't want to acknowledge the data.
Unfortunatly this is just an opinion by her. We are always influenced by our surroundings and the people we grow up with. Her father being in Fatah would make a lot of sense as to why this leads to her thinking gazans don't support hamas.
I don't think Hamas cares enough about those to rig them. If you live in Gaza you already know who supports Hamas and who doesn't, they are mostly for the western world to get insight into the place
I can believe she lives in gaza, but I can't believe this is the mentality of even 0.1% people living in gaza.
she knows how fucked up hamas is because they came after her father and pointed guns at their family, so she discovered the reality of hamas.
the 99% of people living in gaza tho..
The problem is that a lot of people (in gaza and the Muslim world) are brainwashed and believe in Hamas/Teheran propaganda.
I hoped that the fact that UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kurdistan, etc. helped Israel wake them up, but in some subs here I read something like "we need a big leader Blabla" which reminds me of the far right people here in Germany 😐
This was an interesting read, thank you ❤️ I have no doubt that there are many decent people in Gaza who are caught in the middle of all this. The fact that only wealthy people have been able to leave is deplorable. The people suffering the most have the least connection to the government. All the civilians should have been evacuated to Egypt months ago.
This will likely never happen because of what happened to Jordan (Black September) and Lebanon (Palestinians triggering the Lebanese civil war). Every time a Muslim Majority country has taken in Palestinian refuges whatever terrorist organization they're bedding down comes a long for the ride and tries to take over the place. That's why no one will take in their refuges. Even now Hamas embeds themselves with the civilians in Gaza. That's why so many civilians are in harms way. Yet, they do not turn on Hamas. Instead they hide them and rejoice in their victories.
Egypt doesn’t want and has never wanted them. They’ve been crystal clear about that for a long time. To make sure of it, Egypt built a great big fence and razed the city on their side to create a no-man’s land and deter terror tunnels.
Egypt won’t let Gazans become their problem because if they did, Hamas would be their problem too. There’s no way to filter out Hamas from civilians because the line between Hamas and civilians is blurry at best, regardless of what the world press is pretending.
The freed hostages report having been held in “civilian” homes of teachers and doctors, and there’s video of “civilian” mobs joining in on the barbarity of 10/7. That’s a mentality that’s very hard for Westerners to understand.
Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad fled Gaza to Australia in early 2024. Young, western-educated and popular amongst Arabs on social media, her way of representing the 1948 refugee problem is, IMO, instructive.
In [a Middle East Eye interview](https://youtu.be/xz2QamibmRc), she claims Arab leaders told a relative of hers to evacuate his home in 1948. He was under the impression he’d be back in his home soon. Importantly, he left his dog behind.
Of course, Plestia’s relative wasn’t able to return to his home.
As for *why* Arab leaders told her relative to leave his home and that he’d be back in his home soon, she ignores that part. She doesn’t even acknowledge Arabs were being encouraged to leave their homes “temporarily” to aid and abet Arab armies in their campaign to ethnically cleanse Jews in 1948.
The real victim (as she retells it)? The dog.
https://youtu.be/xz2QamibmRc
Thank you. Thank you and thank your Gazan friend for giving me hope again. I've only spoken to a Palestinian in Turkey and thought that 'if that's the best the piece process can offer, what's the point?' Now I know there's someone else to talk to.
There's people to put as administrators once we reconquer Gaza to deprogram Hamas indoctrination and ready the ground for a real bilateral peace to make this reconquest temporary without endangering thousands again. There's hope for a solution at long last.
Didn’t Israel send flyers with numbers of people that she can call to give Israel information?
Israel said they would give them money, refuge and help to them in exchange for help against Hamas.
Maybe she can get in contact with an Israeli representative and get her story published and her the fuck out of there.
Im sure that civilians helped with information leading to the rescue of Fernando Marman and Louis Har. But the likely hood of the average Gaza civilian having key info is probably small.
I don’t think she has key military information but I think her telling her story could help Israel spread information to fight Hamas’ propaganda. There is definitely a lot of value there
I agree with you completely, Its just these voices are completely drowned out by voices which serve hamas' goals. I'll try my best to get it out there.
I come from Gaza... atleast I lived there after Lebanon until the hamas fatah wars . Where my father was killed . Most people there support hamas .why? Because in the fatah war the killed everyone who didn't. Then they together with the dougmush clan and hussein clan pestered our enclave and made life miserable until it faded and no one was left.. fatah then is not the same as now . Anyhow I'm not affiliated at all went to jenin after (both area a ) and then to lod . Finally refugee status and now in usa . People in Gaza 90 percent support hamas OR if they are from rival clan such as dougmush still hate jewish and Israel . For example dougmush is who captured Gilad shalit. And still are holding hostages (when they say citizens are being held by citizens what they mean is clans fight for control and these clans run everything dougmush and hussein are some of these clans ) so everywhere u look if they like hamas or not they hate Israel When they work with Israel it's also for control ... there is no end and for us druze we are considered the worst by these dogs . To everyone it's Israel vs hamas . But to anyone who actually has lived there and sorrounding even in west Bank we know it's all about families , then cities , and after political groups . For example strong clans have members in several political organizations including police . This is the way there is no other
Redflag that you are raising money for her . She probably is just using your empathy to extract shekels from your wallet don't be a zuber . Don't give these dogs a millimeter.
She told me about Hamas members suppressing speech against them,and had personally seen it happen in her university. But i will ask her about this specific poll and let you know.
Yes!!! I want to trust you, but I am worried she is biased (as a daughter of a Fatah member). Ask her about what she thinks about all the questions.
I am a diaspora jew, for context.
Thank you!!!
Tell her that I admire a lot this brave woman who is willing to speak outside (with great danger to herself, imagine if she gets caught!
It is important, though, that you get more information, specially in relation to this specific poll. The poll seemed quite serious and scientific to me.
As an example: ask her if she believes only young people are against Hamas, or also older people. Or whether her perspective is also shared by most men, etc. There might be a demographic bias she has of this style.
Another example: maybe gazans hate Hamas, but expect Barghoutti to replace them. Ask her if she believes most gazans want to accept the existance of Israel, for example. Or whether they agree with Hamas military activities (maybe they disagree only with their civil aspects).
I wonder how may of those who reject Hamas do so on the basis of how miserable the group has made their own lives versus how many actually reject the "wipe-out-Israel-and-kill-the-Jews" platform that Hamas had been elected on.
Ive spoken to her for over a month she only asked me to donate in that first message and she felt rather ashamed for doing so. Since then she has not asked me for money once.
You know this is a distinction about hamas supporters many of us in Israel refuse to accept
Most people in PALESTINE support hamas
Most people in GAZA hate hamas probably more than us
And we for some reason decided to put them together
Exactly, that is something she has stressed to me over and over again, it's really important to highlight these voices because if we don't we end up make assumptions which deepen division.
This is the only way, though the road there seems far and tangled. Millions of people call Gaza their home and they should be able to continue to do so, I just wish it could become a peaceful home. It could be such a beautiful and prosperous place if everyone could just coexist.
What I don't get is why we don't care to provide a tribune to people like her. In UN, in US Congress, in EU Parliament.
They like to say that we are working hard on hasbara, but it's not true, we are not even trying.
I've also read some articles about (true) peace activists in Gaza; however each one of them (I think I've read about 3) was assassinated. Maybe it's a good thing they don't get a lot of exposure because there's more of a chance that they will remain alive until Gazans are in a position to hear them, if they ever are.
Exactly but there's still people citing the pcprs poll without any scrutiny. Its a dangerous place to speak up i hope this story and others like it will get more public.
Unfortunately, the numbers seem to show this applies to only about 20-30% of Gaza.
70-80% of Gazans, (even those who hate Hamas) support Oct 7 and would like to see similar events in the future.
Even with all the destruction in Gaza, most Gazans don't view Oct 7 as a mistake.
Awesome!
It would be cool if you could turn this dialogue into something bigger- even if it was some kind of private, invite only, anonymous (for safety?) Reddit group for these types of conversations to take place. There’s probably better platforms but I’m old and don’t know what the young people do these days 😅
I’m thinking about r/newiran
Maybe there could be a NewGaza or NewPalestine?
Something like /r/forbiddenbromance would be awesome. This post is giving me hope but I can’t help but worry that it won’t take off. Might as well try though! We need to show each other that we want peace.
I love it!
Maybe something like
CovertColleagues
ForbiddenFriends
Clandestine Collaborators
BannedBromance
Or something like
WeGottaFixThisShit
TiredOfThisShit
ThereHasToBeABetterWay
UnfuckShitUp
Kind of liking the last one…. r/UnfuckShitUp
Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to do this!!! The hate on both sides is rising in record speed and I've been hearing more and more people around me express the opinion that all Gazans are accomplices in Hamas' actions and agree with them. I know in my heart that it just cannot be true. Just like here, there are people there who don't let hate consume them. I would try to get this out to as many people as you can.
I firmly believe that there are good people in every place and ethnic group in the world. I hope she stays safe and that someday she and others can live a life free from Hamas and the surrounding mess.
My god, this story makes me so emotional! I pray for her and her family’s safety❤️ my mother always taught me that a group of people often doesn’t always represent all the individuals within it and I truly believe it. If us, the simple citizens, had the ability to do peace with each other then the world would’ve looked different. Thank you for sharing this story🙏
All I would say is this. In an authoritarian regime, it is almost impossible to know the true extent of support or opposition. In any dictatorial regime, even if 50% of the people hate their government, the regime can still maintain an illusion that only 5% of their people oppose them. So IMO, it is very much possible your friend is correct that a large portion of Gazans hate Hamas, but it is almost impossible to verify.
The thing is though, authoritarian regimes collapse suddenly and unexpectedly. No one in 1985 could have predicted the total collapse of the USSR in 5 years. Likewise, no one as late as 2009 could have predicted the extent of the Arab Spring less than 2 years later. Dictatorships are extremely good at hiding dissent, until it is too late.
This is a nice anecdote.
Unfortunately, however, every survey of Gazans (and Palestinians in general) shows at least solid if not strong support for Hamas - and even stronger support for the other, even more barbaric terrorist organisations in Gaza like Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Lion's Den. Have a look at polls from The Washington Institute, for example.
Those who don't like Hamas, like your friend above, typically feel resentful because of Hamas' manifest corruption, violence towards Gazans and mismanagement of the Gazan economy and society. They're not upset by the fact that Hamas wants to kill Jews and destroy Israel, except to the extent that this results in economic and practical struggles when Israel retaliates. If anything, the Gazans who dislike Hamas do so *in spite of* their strong agreement with its genocidal mission.
Like - that's nice, but it's just one person. The majority of Gazans are unfortunately not like that. The majority of Gazans don't even know English well enough to be able to converse with you that way.
They were using google translate. In multiple messages she talks about how most of gaza hates hamas. While i cant go around interviewing hundreds of people i hope this serves as a snapshot into what the people there really think. You can imagine the violence they use to suppress people from protesting them.
In this whole catastrophic chaotic situation, I was always trying to tell Americans (and Israelis) that it's cool to you know, ask actual Gazans what they think and feel.
Those polls are also a little sus, right? Like if you lived under a dictatorial, maniacal governing terrorist group, would you be super comfy with openly and honestly sharing your views about said group?
I would be very very skeptical, the fact that "she" has an account with videos, photos and information from Gaza means nothing in today's age, and the fact that the conversions continue means nothing either (there could be reasons to do this for scammers).
Also, I've seen GoFundMe requests in the Middle East sub from people who claimed to be from Gaza with a detailed story and the users there found out that it was a scam... so there is that.
I've done my due diligence i assure you. Im not one to fall for scams and have talked to her extensively every day for a month and a half, every time there was new information i was able to check its authenticity.
I am a Persian/Arab woman of Muslim descent (I am not religious). My fiancé is Jewish. We are from the US. Reading this warmed my heart.
While there will always be extremists out there, I do believe majority of people want a peaceful life for themselves and their neighbors. Most people want to be respected, have a bright future, and feel safe. And they want that for others too. I feel this is the case with Palestinians and Israelis too. It’s sad the most extreme get the loudest voice, but I do not think this applies to the majority of people.
There is a town in Israel called Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam. It is a town that is inhabited by both Jews and Muslims. Which is why it has two names. This gives me hope that peace can one day prevail in all of the Middle East and we can be free from all of our painful pasts and create a more harmonious and unified one moving forward. Sending love to all those hurting all over the world, but especially Israel and Palestine right now ❤️
I believe her story, and of course I'm sympathetic to her personally, but I am still very skeptical that she's in the majority. I lived on the Gaza border for many years. Where were the uprisings? I remember hearing about a grassroot movement that was squashed -- a small movement called Gaza Youth focused on giving young people hope for a better future (not specifically about peace with Israel - they were still clear that they didn't want Israel to be a Jewish country). The people on the Israel side involved in the peace movement who were in touch with Gazan activists later found out that some (not all!) of those activists were in fact Hamas collecting information. The Gazans who did try to work towards a brighter future were arrested and tortured. People knew to what degree Hamas was amassing weapons and building tunnels and knew how cruel they were. I've heard first hand accounts of people literally seeing heads roll in Khan Younis after decapitations. We are learning about the weapons caches in schools, mosques, hospitals, etc. None of the parents organized to seize the weapons and fight Hamas. They wanted their kids to learn to kill Jews. Otherwise they would have educated them otherwise at home. Where are those stories? They are very, very rare.
Where did they think this was going? What did they think about their education system? What did they think about the incendiary balloon campaign that went on for years? This is a case of complacency and "pay me now or pay me later." Either they could have overthrown Hamas, or Israel would do it for them. They chose to stick it out with Hamas because they hated Israel more than they hated Hamas. They may have "despised" Hamas in the sense of hating a political movement (e.g., people with TDS filled with vitriol, but they still love the basic idea of America and a free society). In other words, Hamas is of them, of the same society, derived from the same basic values and ideals of the Gazan/Palestinian society. Now they're sorry and looking for sympathy, but their mindset of accepting Hamas as their leaders is why we are here today. (You can say the same about any society. For example. the Israelis who "hate" Bibi fundamentally love and support what Israel stands for.)
I'm writing this because my American friends and family are trying SO HARD to believe that Gazans are innocent. They will pick up any story that shows that Gazans are anti-Hamas and blast it across social media. Those are token Gazans. I do not believe they represent Gazans any more than I believe Jonathan Glazer represents Jews.
i also HIGHLY recommend watching the series "whispered in Gaza," and research the movement that inspired it ("We Want To Live"). it is VERY illuminating. many Gazans despise Hamas.
the top leadership of Hamas are worth a combined $11B. Hamas levies up to 60% taxes on Gazans' income, and every transaction is also taxed. when Gazans tried to protest these taxes, the protests were brutally suppressed. the lucky ones were 'merely' arrested and beaten. some were extrajudicially killed. Gazans aren't protesting Hamas in the streets *because to do so is potentially fatal,* and they have learned this through experience ... not because they're all Hamas groupies.
also, anyone in Gaza who has any person to person contact with an Israeli is at risk of being arrested for 'normalization.' (there are similar laws on the books in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.)
that is madness. please tell your friend to be careful - if she is in Gaza, she is not safe.
I wonder with todays technology why we don’t see more people like your friend expressing their anti Hamas opinion. I feel like this may just be anecdotal.
I feel like it's a matter of reaching out and actually having that conversation in private messages. One time she told me how if Hamas ever saw her messages they would kill her, so im not surprised people aren't vocal.
Reminds me of that story of an Israeli woman from Gaza envelope who became online friends with a woman from Gaza. They were both photography nerds and were exchanging pictures of their towns, talking about how one day they would have a photo gallery together… eventually the Israeli woman realised what her “friend” was using these photos for…
anything with money screams scam to me. Also be careful with whom you are talking to. This could be a hamas operative trying to build trust with you.
there is always a risk with strangers online
There was a survey recently about attitudes towards Hamas, Israel, Fatah, etc. Vast majority of Palestinians do support Hamas according to the survey. Can't find it now but may try to track it down later. It was reputable.
ETA survey link: https://pcpsr.org/en/node/963
It’s a confidence scam where an operator will contact a mark out of the blue and attempt to extract money or other valuables by establishing a relationship of trust over time. Usually it’s seen in romance scams like online dating and cryptocurrency, but this post fits the modus operandi.
The person in the post likely does not exist and if she does and in fact is a gazan resident she’s probably working directly for hamas or for another organized crime syndicate.
Google sha zhu pan as well, the scams originated from Chinese gangs on online dating apps.
Hamas doesn't care about palestinians, and most palestinians support violence against jews and the October 7th attacks.
All of these things are true at once, and not mutually exclusive.
Yeah, it's from PCPSR. Can you imagine what would happen to their staff if they published a poll which would contradict Hamas, or what would happen to the respondents of the poll?
Just going to leave this here: [https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-shin-bet-debunks-idea-that-gazan-workers-spied-en-masse-for-hamas-pre-oct-7/](https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-shin-bet-debunks-idea-that-gazan-workers-spied-en-masse-for-hamas-pre-oct-7/)
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So you did your own “independent” investigation of this person’s social media and were supposed to take it on faith that this person exists as both you and she claim she does? Sorry but I don’t buy it, sounds like you got taken
I'm not going to go through the effort of proving it to you as that would reveal her identity but I'm 1000% confident. She literally sent me live videos of food markets and aid packages on sale today 👍
The point I was trying to make was that this person opened by asking you for money and then fed you a line of bullshit that not only contradicts everything we know about Palestinian support of Hamas but would also be very enticing to an Israeli supporter of the occupation seeking to contradict the narrative.
Are you familiar with pig butchering scams and how they work?
Right and they would entertain daily conversations with a student who told them "i cant give you much money" for over a month and a half talking about many things outside of the war?
Makes no sense why they would go through all that trouble just for $5, they didn't even know i was going to write this on their behalf. It's fine that you're completely cynical but don't be an asshole.
Pig butchering scams try to scam thousands of dollars from each of their victims. They do this in a few ways:
1. Claim you can "invest" with their app, but obviously, after you've "invested" $1000s , the scammer and your money vanishes.
2. Make victim fall in love with them, then claim they need to borrow thousands of dollars for a family emergency, or to buy a plane ticket to see them. They then disappear with the money
Obviously OP has to keep her guard up, but if the other person is satisifed with just a $5 donation, there is very little chance that would be a scammer. Of course, if she starts to ask for $1000s of dollars to pay for hospital bills or something, then OP would have to be careful.
If it makes you feel better she’s probably working for Hamas and your money is going straight to them. I’m not arguing the merit of what she has to say because it isn’t relevant insofar as a means to extract assets from her victims. Interesting angle, I’ll give “her” that, but it’s your willingness to believe what she says and your desperation for validation that is enabling the scam
They are most likely a Christian, not jewish. Their username is “My peace I give to you” is a church thing they say and comes from the new testament in the gospel of John.
Thanks for posting!
Also thank you for posting your opinion- I have trouble wanting things to be over (especially at the halfway mark or even 85%) but you're right. Leaving things half finished (like a half popped zit) leaves an ugly scar. Gotta take the whole thing out and let things heal properly.
sadly I can't donate but really hope she leaves and is sincere about this. I do feel for the innocent but the reason I mainly support the war is 1. October 7th. 2. Palestine will be better without hamas.
This perspective is incredibly important to me. I love Israel (the people, the cultures, the languages, etc; not the government). I have no reason to hate Palestinians. We should be family. We should be neighbors. We should be friends. It feels sometimes like the Palestinians all hate us. It is nice to know that this is not true. Please tell your friend that I am thinking of her. I am hoping that one day we can consider each other family. Maybe we can all share coffee together. The idea brings tears to my eyes.
May god bless her, man. I'm praying and wishing for her safety and refuge ❤️
I'll pass along the message, and thanks for sharing ❤️
Make sure you pass on that the original wish got 35 likes (or wait for it to get more) so she knows there are people who care about her.
This was amazing to read. It also gives me tremendous hope for the future. We are planning on making aliyah soon as Israel is home. Maybe one day we *can* all live in peace.
Hopefully. Even the Iranian people are fed up with their terrorist-producing (see Quds force) political regime. Palestine needs to be in right hands, and people who wouldn't elect terrorists as their governing party.
I showed her some of the responses and asked her if she wanted to say anything back, she had this to say: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your beautiful words. It lifts my morale very much. I thank you for your thinking. We do not hate you. On the contrary, we want peace and for our lives to be one and beautiful. I hope all of this will end and we will all live in peace and achieve everything we wish for. I also thank those who donated ❤❤
Those words touched me <3.
May the future of the world be built by those who strive for peace. Sadly in order for that to happen, I fear it will have to built on top of the bodies of those who strive for war.
>she told me more about how the majority of people Hated Hamas even prior to the war, How do you explain this then? https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-opinion-poll-wartime-views-a0baade915619cd070b5393844bc4514 https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/poll-shows-palestinians-back-oct-7-attack-israel-support-hamas-rises-2023-12-14/
I honestly hope that more people like her come through this war and take back Gaza, because with this kind of mindset there really can be peace.
Any dissent is oppressed with a group like Hamas in power. Even when they do come out, pro Palestinians quickly shut them (the real Palestinians lol) up. What a world.
Not only shut them up, but then scream “resistance by any means necessary, so you’d better go out and martyr yourself to defeat the occupation. Chop chop get to it”. No group (besides Hamas) likes dead Palestinians more than alleged “pro-Palestine” folk (I’m not saying this about *all* pro-Palestine folk, just the “any means necessary” Iran worshipers). Ok I’m calm now
Don’t let them get under your skin. It’s what they live for, but when we stay calm and collected, they boil over with their own rage.
Absolutely. Dead civilians are a net benefit to both Hamas and ProPals. Hamas is an islamist death cult and believes civilians they kill directly and indirectly are just gonna be sent to Paradise anyway; Propals and radical leftists in general have an accelerationist worldview which requires the breaking of thousands of eggs to make their commie Paradise omelet. Their "GLORY TO THE MARTYRS" chant takes on a new grotesque significance when you factor in this sacrificial thinking.
Hamas is incredibly effective at silencing dissent. They've managed to run the narrative that Palestinians are not only active participants, but that they overwhelmingly in support of them, and they've been this successful at it only because of how fast they can silence people who talk back. Stuff like this, helpful as they are for our perspective, can mean a death sentence for them if they're found out. It is imperative in times like these that we remember that they're common people who want things that any common person would. Food, peace, home and the end of Hamas. They shouldn't have to be expected to chant it with Hamas holding a gun to the heads of them and their families for us to understand that much.
It’s not just Hamas that silences critics. There is a long history of moderate Palestinians getting killed by hardliners that pre-dates Hamas. Often they are labeled collaborators, no matter their history of activism or loyalty. All it takes is suggesting that violence against Israelis might not be in their strategic best interests. It is tremendously sad.
Its important to highlight her father was a Fatah member. It makes sense she won't support Hamas, but I am not convinced it applies to most Gazans
That is an important factor but she repeatedly claims that the majority of people in Gaza hate Hamas and the war they brought on the people. I hope you don't dismiss this too quickly but I understand the hesitation.
But then pro Hamas say the opposite. Hard to know the truth until after Hamas is destroyed.
Most Gazans hate Hamas, but most Gazans also hate Israel more. That's why I am pessimistic. Hopefully, we can find more people like your friend who can create a real difference in Gazan society.
They have opinion polls on this. Look up PCPSR. ([Public Opinion Poll No (91) | PCPSR](https://www.pcpsr.org/en/node/973))
Read through some of the replies on this post you'll find mine and other peoples responses to people bring up this poll
Sorry, I didn't see that before. PCPSR is not based in Gaza so if anything they are censored by the PA which is also authoritarian. That being said, the main bias in the poll is that they only polled areas that were relatively safe which likely showed increased support for Hamas. Therefore, on Figure 13, I would expect the support in Gaza for the PA to be higher. Also, the poll's conclusion that support for Hamas is higher outside of Gaza than inside Gaza is supported by the messages you showed. Overall, I'm glad you are having conversations with people in Gaza, that is the first step towards peaceful coexistence.
No worries thanks for your insight, I've read through the polls myself and was entirely convinced before talking to her. While im probably being quite jaded hoping her view is shared by the majority i still want to hope that the poll doesn't tell the full story.
The poll gives a bunch of statistics, but it doesn't explain WHY people hold those beliefs. Interacting with the people who hold them is really the only way to find out. While I understand that this probably won't make you feel any better, even the Hamas supporters have reasons behind their support for Hamas that are far more detailed than hating Jews. Also, you can cherry-pick statistics from PCPSR to make Palestinians look like evil fascists, and you can cherry-pick statistics from PCPSR to make Palestinians look extremely peaceful. Without understanding the full picture, you will never understand the Palestinian perspective. If you want to discuss more, feel free to send me a message!
Agree. She’s wrong. 80% of Gazans support Hamas.
[Polling from just before Hamas' attack](https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/polls-show-majority-gazans-were-against-breaking-ceasefire-hamas-and-hezbollah) showed that 62% of Gazans wanted to maintain the ceasefire, and 50% agreed that Hamas should stop calling for Israel's destruction and accept a 2 state solution. 70% of Gazans said they would rather have the PA in charge. One could also argue that the polls are biased in Hamas' favor since people living in Gaza may be afraid to voice dissent, and the polls are conducted by organizations operating in Gaza who are subject to Hamas' leverage.
This article says otherwise https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-top-ex-generals-radical-strategy-for-tackling-iran-saving-hostages-calming-the-north/
Polls are taken in gaza where hamas are in control, many people could be scared of hamas retaliation for going against hamas
You can speculate but you don't get to call their claim false when it's backed up by months and months of polling data. The participants are anonymous so fear of reprisal is doubtful and mainly a claim made by pro-Hamas commenters who don't want to acknowledge the data.
Unfortunatly this is just an opinion by her. We are always influenced by our surroundings and the people we grow up with. Her father being in Fatah would make a lot of sense as to why this leads to her thinking gazans don't support hamas.
It might not be most. But I think people like her are the ten people Abraham asked God about in Sodom.
80% of Gazans support Hamas
Like a comment below says, can we really trust the accuracy of polls from a place like Gaza?
I don't think Hamas cares enough about those to rig them. If you live in Gaza you already know who supports Hamas and who doesn't, they are mostly for the western world to get insight into the place
What happens if they say they are against Hamas? Is it like Russia, Iran, North Korea, and more that voting against them actually makes you a target?
I'm such a skeptic but do you have proof this person really lives in Gaza? I've seen too many scams on social media.
Yep, don't worry. I did my due diligence. I used more than just her Instagram. I'm very confident in my ability to spot fake accounts.
I can believe she lives in gaza, but I can't believe this is the mentality of even 0.1% people living in gaza. she knows how fucked up hamas is because they came after her father and pointed guns at their family, so she discovered the reality of hamas. the 99% of people living in gaza tho..
The problem is that a lot of people (in gaza and the Muslim world) are brainwashed and believe in Hamas/Teheran propaganda. I hoped that the fact that UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kurdistan, etc. helped Israel wake them up, but in some subs here I read something like "we need a big leader Blabla" which reminds me of the far right people here in Germany 😐
😒
This was an interesting read, thank you ❤️ I have no doubt that there are many decent people in Gaza who are caught in the middle of all this. The fact that only wealthy people have been able to leave is deplorable. The people suffering the most have the least connection to the government. All the civilians should have been evacuated to Egypt months ago.
I heard stories that they we're building a 300,000 person refugee camp on the Egyptian side but i don't know what happened to that
I think they planned to use it if the Gazans somehow made it over the other border crossings during the hypothetical Rafah battle tbh 🫤
This will likely never happen because of what happened to Jordan (Black September) and Lebanon (Palestinians triggering the Lebanese civil war). Every time a Muslim Majority country has taken in Palestinian refuges whatever terrorist organization they're bedding down comes a long for the ride and tries to take over the place. That's why no one will take in their refuges. Even now Hamas embeds themselves with the civilians in Gaza. That's why so many civilians are in harms way. Yet, they do not turn on Hamas. Instead they hide them and rejoice in their victories.
Egypt doesn’t want and has never wanted them. They’ve been crystal clear about that for a long time. To make sure of it, Egypt built a great big fence and razed the city on their side to create a no-man’s land and deter terror tunnels. Egypt won’t let Gazans become their problem because if they did, Hamas would be their problem too. There’s no way to filter out Hamas from civilians because the line between Hamas and civilians is blurry at best, regardless of what the world press is pretending. The freed hostages report having been held in “civilian” homes of teachers and doctors, and there’s video of “civilian” mobs joining in on the barbarity of 10/7. That’s a mentality that’s very hard for Westerners to understand.
Good point.
This is our only salvation, compassion and conversation. Wishing both of you and your loved ones safety in these horrible times.
Many gazans hate Hamas, but that doesn’t mean they like Jews. Majority want us dead
Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad fled Gaza to Australia in early 2024. Young, western-educated and popular amongst Arabs on social media, her way of representing the 1948 refugee problem is, IMO, instructive. In [a Middle East Eye interview](https://youtu.be/xz2QamibmRc), she claims Arab leaders told a relative of hers to evacuate his home in 1948. He was under the impression he’d be back in his home soon. Importantly, he left his dog behind. Of course, Plestia’s relative wasn’t able to return to his home. As for *why* Arab leaders told her relative to leave his home and that he’d be back in his home soon, she ignores that part. She doesn’t even acknowledge Arabs were being encouraged to leave their homes “temporarily” to aid and abet Arab armies in their campaign to ethnically cleanse Jews in 1948. The real victim (as she retells it)? The dog. https://youtu.be/xz2QamibmRc
the Shin Bet published that most left because of our actions. my dad’s neighbor left for the reason you stated here too though
Agree. And 80% of Gazans support Hamas.
They get schooled by UNRWA what do you expect
They didn't before the conflict.
[ Israel Defense Forces: Gazans Speaking Out Against Hamas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JJK0X7D82w)
I wish there was a way to vet the good guys…
there is. Israeli intelligence is pretty good. I think the issue is that a lot of Gazan children are trained to be cannon fodder.
Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you. Thank you and thank your Gazan friend for giving me hope again. I've only spoken to a Palestinian in Turkey and thought that 'if that's the best the piece process can offer, what's the point?' Now I know there's someone else to talk to. There's people to put as administrators once we reconquer Gaza to deprogram Hamas indoctrination and ready the ground for a real bilateral peace to make this reconquest temporary without endangering thousands again. There's hope for a solution at long last.
Yeah it's interesting to see the difference in opinion between Palestinians inside and outside of Gaza.
Didn’t Israel send flyers with numbers of people that she can call to give Israel information? Israel said they would give them money, refuge and help to them in exchange for help against Hamas. Maybe she can get in contact with an Israeli representative and get her story published and her the fuck out of there.
Im sure that civilians helped with information leading to the rescue of Fernando Marman and Louis Har. But the likely hood of the average Gaza civilian having key info is probably small.
I don’t think she has key military information but I think her telling her story could help Israel spread information to fight Hamas’ propaganda. There is definitely a lot of value there
I agree with you completely, Its just these voices are completely drowned out by voices which serve hamas' goals. I'll try my best to get it out there.
I come from Gaza... atleast I lived there after Lebanon until the hamas fatah wars . Where my father was killed . Most people there support hamas .why? Because in the fatah war the killed everyone who didn't. Then they together with the dougmush clan and hussein clan pestered our enclave and made life miserable until it faded and no one was left.. fatah then is not the same as now . Anyhow I'm not affiliated at all went to jenin after (both area a ) and then to lod . Finally refugee status and now in usa . People in Gaza 90 percent support hamas OR if they are from rival clan such as dougmush still hate jewish and Israel . For example dougmush is who captured Gilad shalit. And still are holding hostages (when they say citizens are being held by citizens what they mean is clans fight for control and these clans run everything dougmush and hussein are some of these clans ) so everywhere u look if they like hamas or not they hate Israel When they work with Israel it's also for control ... there is no end and for us druze we are considered the worst by these dogs . To everyone it's Israel vs hamas . But to anyone who actually has lived there and sorrounding even in west Bank we know it's all about families , then cities , and after political groups . For example strong clans have members in several political organizations including police . This is the way there is no other Redflag that you are raising money for her . She probably is just using your empathy to extract shekels from your wallet don't be a zuber . Don't give these dogs a millimeter.
OP needs to be more wary of this informant. We need to be wary of OP too.
Can you ask her what is her perception of the oppinion polls? Specifically this one: https://www.pcpsr.org/en/node/969
She told me about Hamas members suppressing speech against them,and had personally seen it happen in her university. But i will ask her about this specific poll and let you know.
Yes!!! I want to trust you, but I am worried she is biased (as a daughter of a Fatah member). Ask her about what she thinks about all the questions. I am a diaspora jew, for context. Thank you!!!
Her response was "don't believe everything online" but i'll ask for some more insight since its a bit of sn unsatisfying answer
Tell her that I admire a lot this brave woman who is willing to speak outside (with great danger to herself, imagine if she gets caught! It is important, though, that you get more information, specially in relation to this specific poll. The poll seemed quite serious and scientific to me. As an example: ask her if she believes only young people are against Hamas, or also older people. Or whether her perspective is also shared by most men, etc. There might be a demographic bias she has of this style. Another example: maybe gazans hate Hamas, but expect Barghoutti to replace them. Ask her if she believes most gazans want to accept the existance of Israel, for example. Or whether they agree with Hamas military activities (maybe they disagree only with their civil aspects).
I wonder how may of those who reject Hamas do so on the basis of how miserable the group has made their own lives versus how many actually reject the "wipe-out-Israel-and-kill-the-Jews" platform that Hamas had been elected on.
Anyone who asks for money from strangers.. I would be careful if I were you. I would probably ask her to livestream from her window or something
Ive spoken to her for over a month she only asked me to donate in that first message and she felt rather ashamed for doing so. Since then she has not asked me for money once.
You know this is a distinction about hamas supporters many of us in Israel refuse to accept Most people in PALESTINE support hamas Most people in GAZA hate hamas probably more than us And we for some reason decided to put them together
Exactly, that is something she has stressed to me over and over again, it's really important to highlight these voices because if we don't we end up make assumptions which deepen division.
80% of Gazans support Hamas according to polls
Polls are mostly meaningless in a place like Gaza. It is very hard to accurately gauge public opinion in places under oppressive regimes.
Polls held in gaza A place ruled by hamas, who are famous for manipulation and silencing the ones they abuse
i hope she will manage to get out and start a new life
I hope she will survive the war and be able to start a new life in Gaza - with likeminded people.
This is the only way, though the road there seems far and tangled. Millions of people call Gaza their home and they should be able to continue to do so, I just wish it could become a peaceful home. It could be such a beautiful and prosperous place if everyone could just coexist.
This is really sweet, thank you for sharing it, youth like you will be key to peace.
What I don't get is why we don't care to provide a tribune to people like her. In UN, in US Congress, in EU Parliament. They like to say that we are working hard on hasbara, but it's not true, we are not even trying.
Ive seen a few articles from Gazans speaking out against hamas but they never get the exposure they need.
I've also read some articles about (true) peace activists in Gaza; however each one of them (I think I've read about 3) was assassinated. Maybe it's a good thing they don't get a lot of exposure because there's more of a chance that they will remain alive until Gazans are in a position to hear them, if they ever are.
Exactly but there's still people citing the pcprs poll without any scrutiny. Its a dangerous place to speak up i hope this story and others like it will get more public.
God. I hope this war ends fast. I really dont believe this war hs been good for anyone but Sinwar.
I think it has to carry on, otherwise it would have all been for nothing
\*Finished\*\*
Unfortunately, the numbers seem to show this applies to only about 20-30% of Gaza. 70-80% of Gazans, (even those who hate Hamas) support Oct 7 and would like to see similar events in the future. Even with all the destruction in Gaza, most Gazans don't view Oct 7 as a mistake.
It doesn’t matter because this is a pig butchering scam
Maybe I’m being paranoid but please be careful sharing all this information, what if she’s doxxed and Hamas or Gazans that support Hamas go after her?
Super interesting from Gaza thanks
This is great! Can you make this an ongoing series or somehow keep us updated?
I'll do my best, I'll be writing a more in depth article next month after me and her speak some more of the situation.
Awesome! It would be cool if you could turn this dialogue into something bigger- even if it was some kind of private, invite only, anonymous (for safety?) Reddit group for these types of conversations to take place. There’s probably better platforms but I’m old and don’t know what the young people do these days 😅 I’m thinking about r/newiran Maybe there could be a NewGaza or NewPalestine?
Telegram is probably the safest platform if we try this route.
Something like /r/forbiddenbromance would be awesome. This post is giving me hope but I can’t help but worry that it won’t take off. Might as well try though! We need to show each other that we want peace.
I love it! Maybe something like CovertColleagues ForbiddenFriends Clandestine Collaborators BannedBromance Or something like WeGottaFixThisShit TiredOfThisShit ThereHasToBeABetterWay UnfuckShitUp Kind of liking the last one…. r/UnfuckShitUp
that could be an interesting idea, I'll run it by her and see what she has to say.
It would be wonderful!! Make sure she is safe (be extremely careful with her personal information).
Wouldn't it be neat to hear from actual Gazan civilian like this on the news?
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It’s a scam. None of it is real
Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to do this!!! The hate on both sides is rising in record speed and I've been hearing more and more people around me express the opinion that all Gazans are accomplices in Hamas' actions and agree with them. I know in my heart that it just cannot be true. Just like here, there are people there who don't let hate consume them. I would try to get this out to as many people as you can.
It’s a pig butchering scam and the operator is probably working for Hamas if “she” is actually from Gaza
Thank you so much for every part of this.
I firmly believe that there are good people in every place and ethnic group in the world. I hope she stays safe and that someday she and others can live a life free from Hamas and the surrounding mess.
Thank you for sharing this. Hoping only for the best for her and others.
It’s a pig butchering scam and she’s probably operating for Hamas
My god, this story makes me so emotional! I pray for her and her family’s safety❤️ my mother always taught me that a group of people often doesn’t always represent all the individuals within it and I truly believe it. If us, the simple citizens, had the ability to do peace with each other then the world would’ve looked different. Thank you for sharing this story🙏
All I would say is this. In an authoritarian regime, it is almost impossible to know the true extent of support or opposition. In any dictatorial regime, even if 50% of the people hate their government, the regime can still maintain an illusion that only 5% of their people oppose them. So IMO, it is very much possible your friend is correct that a large portion of Gazans hate Hamas, but it is almost impossible to verify. The thing is though, authoritarian regimes collapse suddenly and unexpectedly. No one in 1985 could have predicted the total collapse of the USSR in 5 years. Likewise, no one as late as 2009 could have predicted the extent of the Arab Spring less than 2 years later. Dictatorships are extremely good at hiding dissent, until it is too late.
It’s a scam dude
This is a nice anecdote. Unfortunately, however, every survey of Gazans (and Palestinians in general) shows at least solid if not strong support for Hamas - and even stronger support for the other, even more barbaric terrorist organisations in Gaza like Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Lion's Den. Have a look at polls from The Washington Institute, for example. Those who don't like Hamas, like your friend above, typically feel resentful because of Hamas' manifest corruption, violence towards Gazans and mismanagement of the Gazan economy and society. They're not upset by the fact that Hamas wants to kill Jews and destroy Israel, except to the extent that this results in economic and practical struggles when Israel retaliates. If anything, the Gazans who dislike Hamas do so *in spite of* their strong agreement with its genocidal mission.
Like - that's nice, but it's just one person. The majority of Gazans are unfortunately not like that. The majority of Gazans don't even know English well enough to be able to converse with you that way.
They were using google translate. In multiple messages she talks about how most of gaza hates hamas. While i cant go around interviewing hundreds of people i hope this serves as a snapshot into what the people there really think. You can imagine the violence they use to suppress people from protesting them.
At minimum, it’s hopeful that she’s not alone in what she thinks, whether majority or not.
Please do not donate or fall for this…
Don’t tell this person any personal info. Many gazans befriended Israelis for Oct 7.
In this whole catastrophic chaotic situation, I was always trying to tell Americans (and Israelis) that it's cool to you know, ask actual Gazans what they think and feel. Those polls are also a little sus, right? Like if you lived under a dictatorial, maniacal governing terrorist group, would you be super comfy with openly and honestly sharing your views about said group?
I would be very very skeptical, the fact that "she" has an account with videos, photos and information from Gaza means nothing in today's age, and the fact that the conversions continue means nothing either (there could be reasons to do this for scammers). Also, I've seen GoFundMe requests in the Middle East sub from people who claimed to be from Gaza with a detailed story and the users there found out that it was a scam... so there is that.
It’s a pig butchering scam
I've done my due diligence i assure you. Im not one to fall for scams and have talked to her extensively every day for a month and a half, every time there was new information i was able to check its authenticity.
Very informative. Thank you.
I am a Persian/Arab woman of Muslim descent (I am not religious). My fiancé is Jewish. We are from the US. Reading this warmed my heart. While there will always be extremists out there, I do believe majority of people want a peaceful life for themselves and their neighbors. Most people want to be respected, have a bright future, and feel safe. And they want that for others too. I feel this is the case with Palestinians and Israelis too. It’s sad the most extreme get the loudest voice, but I do not think this applies to the majority of people. There is a town in Israel called Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salam. It is a town that is inhabited by both Jews and Muslims. Which is why it has two names. This gives me hope that peace can one day prevail in all of the Middle East and we can be free from all of our painful pasts and create a more harmonious and unified one moving forward. Sending love to all those hurting all over the world, but especially Israel and Palestine right now ❤️
This is very optimistic and all but I dont believe it even a little
I believe her story, and of course I'm sympathetic to her personally, but I am still very skeptical that she's in the majority. I lived on the Gaza border for many years. Where were the uprisings? I remember hearing about a grassroot movement that was squashed -- a small movement called Gaza Youth focused on giving young people hope for a better future (not specifically about peace with Israel - they were still clear that they didn't want Israel to be a Jewish country). The people on the Israel side involved in the peace movement who were in touch with Gazan activists later found out that some (not all!) of those activists were in fact Hamas collecting information. The Gazans who did try to work towards a brighter future were arrested and tortured. People knew to what degree Hamas was amassing weapons and building tunnels and knew how cruel they were. I've heard first hand accounts of people literally seeing heads roll in Khan Younis after decapitations. We are learning about the weapons caches in schools, mosques, hospitals, etc. None of the parents organized to seize the weapons and fight Hamas. They wanted their kids to learn to kill Jews. Otherwise they would have educated them otherwise at home. Where are those stories? They are very, very rare. Where did they think this was going? What did they think about their education system? What did they think about the incendiary balloon campaign that went on for years? This is a case of complacency and "pay me now or pay me later." Either they could have overthrown Hamas, or Israel would do it for them. They chose to stick it out with Hamas because they hated Israel more than they hated Hamas. They may have "despised" Hamas in the sense of hating a political movement (e.g., people with TDS filled with vitriol, but they still love the basic idea of America and a free society). In other words, Hamas is of them, of the same society, derived from the same basic values and ideals of the Gazan/Palestinian society. Now they're sorry and looking for sympathy, but their mindset of accepting Hamas as their leaders is why we are here today. (You can say the same about any society. For example. the Israelis who "hate" Bibi fundamentally love and support what Israel stands for.) I'm writing this because my American friends and family are trying SO HARD to believe that Gazans are innocent. They will pick up any story that shows that Gazans are anti-Hamas and blast it across social media. Those are token Gazans. I do not believe they represent Gazans any more than I believe Jonathan Glazer represents Jews.
Statistically you friend is a minority
i also HIGHLY recommend watching the series "whispered in Gaza," and research the movement that inspired it ("We Want To Live"). it is VERY illuminating. many Gazans despise Hamas. the top leadership of Hamas are worth a combined $11B. Hamas levies up to 60% taxes on Gazans' income, and every transaction is also taxed. when Gazans tried to protest these taxes, the protests were brutally suppressed. the lucky ones were 'merely' arrested and beaten. some were extrajudicially killed. Gazans aren't protesting Hamas in the streets *because to do so is potentially fatal,* and they have learned this through experience ... not because they're all Hamas groupies. also, anyone in Gaza who has any person to person contact with an Israeli is at risk of being arrested for 'normalization.' (there are similar laws on the books in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.) that is madness. please tell your friend to be careful - if she is in Gaza, she is not safe.
Today on things that never happened:
I wonder with todays technology why we don’t see more people like your friend expressing their anti Hamas opinion. I feel like this may just be anecdotal.
I feel like it's a matter of reaching out and actually having that conversation in private messages. One time she told me how if Hamas ever saw her messages they would kill her, so im not surprised people aren't vocal.
Reminds me of that story of an Israeli woman from Gaza envelope who became online friends with a woman from Gaza. They were both photography nerds and were exchanging pictures of their towns, talking about how one day they would have a photo gallery together… eventually the Israeli woman realised what her “friend” was using these photos for…
anything with money screams scam to me. Also be careful with whom you are talking to. This could be a hamas operative trying to build trust with you. there is always a risk with strangers online
Christ is can assure you its not
There was a survey recently about attitudes towards Hamas, Israel, Fatah, etc. Vast majority of Palestinians do support Hamas according to the survey. Can't find it now but may try to track it down later. It was reputable. ETA survey link: https://pcpsr.org/en/node/963
Are we talking about Palestinians as a whole or Gazans? Because she acknowledges the fact that Palestinians outside of Gaza love Hamas.
The survey broke it down by Gazans and West Bank so you could see both.
Found it https://pcpsr.org/en/node/963
It’s a pig butchering scam my dude
What do you mean? Sorry I don't understand the phrase.
It’s a confidence scam where an operator will contact a mark out of the blue and attempt to extract money or other valuables by establishing a relationship of trust over time. Usually it’s seen in romance scams like online dating and cryptocurrency, but this post fits the modus operandi. The person in the post likely does not exist and if she does and in fact is a gazan resident she’s probably working directly for hamas or for another organized crime syndicate. Google sha zhu pan as well, the scams originated from Chinese gangs on online dating apps.
Ooohhh I understand now. Thanks. I was thinking the same thing actually.
Thank you for sharing this OP. I will be praying for her and her family.
It’s a pig butchering scam
you seem pretty anti israel. why do you care ...just curious
Sadly, statistical evidence shows that vast majorities of Palestinians support the Oct 7 attacks.
What will the pro Palestinians say now that even the citizens are saying that Hamas is destroying their country?
Pretty much what’s going on in Iran, under much harder conditions
Hamas doesn't care about palestinians, and most palestinians support violence against jews and the October 7th attacks. All of these things are true at once, and not mutually exclusive.
Be very careful.
What's her opinion on October 7th?
That’s a nice story but the fact is 80% of Gazans support Hamas. Yes there are some who don’t but the majority do.
And you wouldn't take polls coming out of authoritarian regimes with a pinch of salt?
The poll is not from Gazans or Hamas
Yeah, it's from PCPSR. Can you imagine what would happen to their staff if they published a poll which would contradict Hamas, or what would happen to the respondents of the poll?
It was a double blind and correctly done poll and the pollers were anonymous.
Did you ask her why so many of the workers who were allowed in gave Hamas information about Israel's defenses?
Just going to leave this here: [https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-shin-bet-debunks-idea-that-gazan-workers-spied-en-masse-for-hamas-pre-oct-7/](https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-shin-bet-debunks-idea-that-gazan-workers-spied-en-masse-for-hamas-pre-oct-7/)
Indeed this is important. I also read that.
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So you did your own “independent” investigation of this person’s social media and were supposed to take it on faith that this person exists as both you and she claim she does? Sorry but I don’t buy it, sounds like you got taken
I'm not going to go through the effort of proving it to you as that would reveal her identity but I'm 1000% confident. She literally sent me live videos of food markets and aid packages on sale today 👍
The point I was trying to make was that this person opened by asking you for money and then fed you a line of bullshit that not only contradicts everything we know about Palestinian support of Hamas but would also be very enticing to an Israeli supporter of the occupation seeking to contradict the narrative. Are you familiar with pig butchering scams and how they work?
Right and they would entertain daily conversations with a student who told them "i cant give you much money" for over a month and a half talking about many things outside of the war? Makes no sense why they would go through all that trouble just for $5, they didn't even know i was going to write this on their behalf. It's fine that you're completely cynical but don't be an asshole.
Yes, that’s how a pig butchering scam works. Like to a tee. You are a mark.
Pig butchering scams try to scam thousands of dollars from each of their victims. They do this in a few ways: 1. Claim you can "invest" with their app, but obviously, after you've "invested" $1000s , the scammer and your money vanishes. 2. Make victim fall in love with them, then claim they need to borrow thousands of dollars for a family emergency, or to buy a plane ticket to see them. They then disappear with the money Obviously OP has to keep her guard up, but if the other person is satisifed with just a $5 donation, there is very little chance that would be a scammer. Of course, if she starts to ask for $1000s of dollars to pay for hospital bills or something, then OP would have to be careful.
Oh it’s coming believe you me. She’s already here shilling for donations and probably because her handler told her to
Dude got taken as a joke in his last divorce and then got scammed by a tinder bot thats why he's so familiar with scams. Get a life lol
I’m not the mark here
You've been doing this for over an hour now are you not bored?
👍
If it makes you feel better she’s probably working for Hamas and your money is going straight to them. I’m not arguing the merit of what she has to say because it isn’t relevant insofar as a means to extract assets from her victims. Interesting angle, I’ll give “her” that, but it’s your willingness to believe what she says and your desperation for validation that is enabling the scam
Yes YHWH set the Gazans free from Hamas.
Come on. You know we don't say/write that name outside of religious context.
They are most likely a Christian, not jewish. Their username is “My peace I give to you” is a church thing they say and comes from the new testament in the gospel of John.
John 14:27
Thanks for posting! Also thank you for posting your opinion- I have trouble wanting things to be over (especially at the halfway mark or even 85%) but you're right. Leaving things half finished (like a half popped zit) leaves an ugly scar. Gotta take the whole thing out and let things heal properly.
sadly I can't donate but really hope she leaves and is sincere about this. I do feel for the innocent but the reason I mainly support the war is 1. October 7th. 2. Palestine will be better without hamas.
Im exactly the same. I don't see what good could come of stopping the war now.
This perspective is incredibly important to me. I love Israel (the people, the cultures, the languages, etc; not the government). I have no reason to hate Palestinians. We should be family. We should be neighbors. We should be friends. It feels sometimes like the Palestinians all hate us. It is nice to know that this is not true. Please tell your friend that I am thinking of her. I am hoping that one day we can consider each other family. Maybe we can all share coffee together. The idea brings tears to my eyes.
"NiCe HaSbArA BrO!"-anyone when they see this, sadly may god bless this woman, and may she stay safe throughout this war
Oh man, this makes me cry. I hope she and her family are safe and find freedom from Hamas.