Pleas from a Gazan in America: 'Amplify anti-Hamas, pro-peace Palestinian voices in Gaza'

“I’ve been communicating with some of the organizers of the anti-Hamas protests in the Gaza Strip and just got off the phone with one of them,” Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, director of the organization Realign for Palestine, posted on 𝕏 last Friday. 

“They’ve been relaying a sense of utter betrayal by the international human rights community, “pro-Palestine” activists, international and Arab journalists, Western analysts, and all who spent a year and a half screaming as if they really care about Gazans,” he said. “But they’re undeterred; in fact, they’re relying on each other and other Gazans who made it out to safety to promote their actions and get their message to the outside world.”

Alkhatib was born in Gaza and is now living in the United States. He studied at the American Military University and is part of the Atlantic Council, a think tank that helps shape U.S. and international policy by bringing together experts to provide insights and recommendations on global issues.

Alkhatib's organization, Realign for Palestine, seeks an end to the violence and a new future for the people of Gaza, while accepting the place of Israel. They denounce the atrocities of Oct. 7, 2023, saying that they “proved the futility of violent armed resistance,” with innocent civilians paying the highest price, and call for the opportunity for the people of Gaza to “flourish in prosperity alongside a safe and secure Israel,” describing it as “the only way forward.” 

He has expressed considerable frustration regarding the fact that Hamas has been allowed to steal from and violently abuse the people of Gaza. In an interview with i24 News last Friday, Alkhatib spoke about the shortcomings of those responsible for monitoring the aid sent into Gaza, noting that inadequate oversight has allowed significant portions of the aid to be diverted by Hamas, who reportedly sell the aid for profit, worsening conditions for the people of Gaza.

Yet, he said there has been a growing trend of “small yet consistent acts of local resistance,” and cited localized protests and a hospital in Khan Younis which closed its doors to Hamas, refusing to allow the facility to be used for terror activities.

“I’m calling on all of my followers: prepare to amplify anti-Hamas, pro-peace Palestinian voices in Gaza, who are not beneficiaries of the “pro-Palestine” industrial complex that only cares about dead Gazans or strictly anti-Israel narratives,” he implored across social media. 

“Let there be no mistake: Hamas is severely weakened and cannot entirely suppress a massive awakening of all Gazans rising up against its rule; anti-Hamas protests can and WILL become a regular occurrence; the 'pro-Palestine' narrative must accommodate Gazans who are done being ruled by fascist terrorists who are a miniaturized version of ISIS and should consider updating their talking points to distance the just and urgent Palestinian aspirations for freedom and dignity away from Hamas’s terror, violence, antisemitism, and hate.”

On Saturday, Alkhatib aired his frustration with pro-Palestine protesters worldwide, who are effectively supporting Hamas to the detriment of Gazans.

“No one in the Arab, Muslim, or Western worlds has a right to lecture Palestinians in Gaza about steadfastness, patience, perseverance & 'resistance' garbage when they don't stand in long food, bathroom, water, or aid lines. This is what the 'cause' has been reduced to by Hamas.” 

With his understanding of the situation for ordinary people on the ground in Gaza, Alkhatib remains hopeful and optimistic about the possibility of change.

“Despite the immense challenges ahead, Gaza’s future belongs to a rejuvenated and revitalized population that focuses on nation-building and coexistence, not radicalism and 'resistance.'"