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Amplifying Palestinian Voices
5/25/25
Hamza Howidy
Massive anti-Hamas protests erupted across Gaza this morning. Hundreds took to the streets—risking their lives—to demand an end to Hamas’s rule and the suffering it brought. protestors are chanting "everyone should now, the people of Gaza aren't Hamas" "out out, Hamas go out". @jeremyscahill this is the same Gaza you report about on. Will you finally listen to what its people are actually saying?
"If you want to understand Gaza listen to us. Not to those who turned our suffering into slogans."
"For 2 years now, Palestinians outside Gaza have claimed to speak for us. They monopolized our voice, dismissed our suffering and even accused us of treason when we dared to say the simplest truth: that we are human, that we are against this endless war."
I fully second the words of both Kareem Jouda and Hamza Howidy!
No matter how great this plan might be I'll never be a fan of DT.
But I truly hope it works this time to not only make a ceasefire but a true lasting peace. For the lives of the people in Gaza, for the 48 hostages still there, for Israelis and for Palestinians in the West Bank.
[English below] Der Friedensaktivist Hamza Howidy sah sich im August 2023 gezwungen, aus dem Gazastreifen über Ägypten und Griechenland nach
Here's Hamza Howidy's story, as explained in this Substack:
I never thought I’d find myself begging for protection from a country that claims to stand for freedom. Now I find myself in an impossible situation, caught between the violent extremists I fled and the democratic system I believed would protect me.
My name is Hamza Howidy, and I was imprisoned and tortured by Hamas in Gaza for speaking out against their authoritarianism. I was later attacked by Hamas supporters in Greece simply for criticizing their spokesperson in a public video. And now, in Germany—a country I believed would recognize the value of my work and offer protection—I have received a deportation order.
It is difficult to articulate the sense of disorientation that comes with such a decision. I did not arrive in Germany in search of comfort or economic opportunity. I came here because I had exhausted all other options, because I was targeted, displaced, and silenced by the very forces the German government publicly claims to oppose.
In 2023, I fled Gaza after being arrested twice by Hamas for my activism. My crime was not violence or incitement—it was dissent. I participated in public protests against corruption, wrote critically about Hamas’s repression, and spoke openly about how they exploit humanitarian aid and brutalize anyone who deviates from their political line. That was enough to make me a target. I fled, leaving behind my home, my family, my language, and the only life I had ever known. I became a refugee.
I arrived in Greece thinking I was finally safe. I wasn’t.
In the Samos refugee camp, another man from Gaza was angered by a video I had published criticizing Hamas’s spokesman Abu Obaidah. He entered my room and threatened to slit my throat. The video had gained visibility after being reshared by numerous Israeli embassies, and once again, I found myself a marked man among radicalized individuals in the camp. I reported the threat and the man was quietly relocated to another facility. But the underlying danger remained.
Later, in Thessaloniki, the threat materialized physically. I was assaulted by a man who accused me of being a "Zionist collaborator." I escaped the scene with nothing—no resources, no institutional protection, and nowhere to turn. That was the moment I realized I couldn’t stay in Greece. The state couldn’t—or wouldn’t—protect someone like me from the very forces I had fled.
I came to Germany because I believed it was a country that took its values seriously. A place that honored those who stood up to extremism. A society that understands what happens when silence meets authoritarianism. And since my arrival, I have done everything in my capacity to contribute. I have spoken in German schools, universities, and libraries about the dangers of antisemitism, Islamism, and political extremism—dangers I understand not as an academic but as someone who lived through them. I have collaborated with more than ten Jewish and Israeli organizations, including JuFo (the Youth Forum of the German-Israeli Society). I have participated in events held in synagogues and Holocaust remembrance institutions, and I was honored to attend the Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration at the German Parliament.
This work is not performative. It is personal. I come from a society in which antisemitic ideology is normalized, where children are taught to hate before they are taught to think. I rejected that indoctrination, and I’ve dedicated years to confronting it—publicly and persistently—despite knowing the risks involved.
That is why the deportation order I received is so profoundly disheartening. It suggests that the German state sees only a file number, not a life; a bureaucratic category, not a record of sacrifice and civic contribution. It ignores the very real threat I face if returned to Greece, where pro-Hamas networks remain active and unchecked, and where my presence as a dissident could again place me in danger.
Germany, like much of Europe, often speaks of the need to empower moderate voices from within immigrant communities to support those who reject extremism and advocate for dialogue, accountability, and peaceful coexistence. But what credibility does that promise hold if someone like me, who has paid a heavy personal price for embracing those principles, is deemed expendable?
I am not seeking charity. I am demanding consistency. If Germany truly stands against antisemitism and political radicalization, then the logical response to someone who has dedicated his life to countering both is not deportation—it is protection.
I have never hidden who I am or what I believe. I stood up in Gaza, in Greece, and now in Germany. I have refused to be silent in the face of repression, because I believed that somewhere in the democratic world, that courage would count for something.
Now I’m not so sure.
If you believe that dissidents targeted by authoritarian regimes should be protected—not expelled—please consider signing this petition. Your support could help ensure that my case is reviewed with the seriousness it deserves.
my all-time favorite Palestinian activist
"I think [reaching Greece in an overcrowded boat no one knew how to drive] was one of the happiest moments in my life, because I survived. And I stayed in Greece -- and I was supposed to stay there to apply for my asylum and get my life there.
"Unfortunately, with the atrocities of October the 7th and my activism, the threats I received when I was in Greece by some radical pro-Palestinian folks, I decided to leave.
"And based on a friend's recommendation, I decided to go to Germany because it's somehow considered safer than the other European countries and there is somehow enough space for a free speech here."
I thought I'd left Gaza behind, yet all this time, Hamas was planning to expand its extremism and intimidation.
"Voicing dissent [in Gaza] was not an option. Hamas has a no tolerance policy for criticism or objections to any of its policies. Even discussion is forbidden.
"Any journalist who objects or criticizes a policy is suspended and investigated. Demonstrations are strictly prohibited. Freedom of speech in Gaza is a fantasy.
"The dirtiest tool Hamas uses to silence citizens is character assassination through online campaigns accusing dissenters of working for hostile bodies or committing immoral acts.
"Hamas also routinely breaks into the homes of people deemed disloyal and humiliates them in front of their family and neighbors.
"...A huge social gap opened between the wealthy elite who belong to Hamas and the rest of the population who were increasingly living in driving poverty. Public sector jobs were limited to Hamas members, and taxes were increasing on necessities day by day, even as the cost of living skyrocketed.
"Many of us could no longer bear it. I was one of them.
"Though we knew dissenters were subject to imprisonment, torture, and even murder, in 2019, a few of us decided to join forces and form a protest to voice our opposition to Hamas. We called it the 'We Want to Live' demonstration.
"Our demonstration elicited an extreme reaction by Hamas. They violently cracked down on the protests and we were all arrested.
"I will never forget my first day in jail—walking up the steps listening to screams of my colleagues, most of them fellow students, who had been arrested before me. I was held under arrest for 21 days and subjected to various types of torture. I was beaten with batons and sprayed with cold water in the late winter night hours.
"My friends didn't fare much better. A Christian friend was in the next cell and I could hear them screaming at him, 'You are a Christian and you don't like the situation? Then go to another country!'
"After we were released, most of those who participated in the demonstrations emigrated away from Gaza. There was no hope for any change in the current situation. We suffered ongoing harassment by Hamas members.
"Some died trying to leave, like Tamer Al-Sultan, a pharmacist whose crime was asking for a reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. [The political party of the Palestinian president, which Hamas violently kicked out of Gaza in a 2007 coup.]
"People's living conditions got worse. The wealth gap expanded even further. We protested again in 2023 and were crushed in the same manner as in 2019.
"I was arrested again by Hamas last year and held for 14 days, this time in a small cell with no bed, no window, and barely enough space to sit down. I was released on bail on the condition that I not take part in any further demonstrations.
"I still expressed my opinion occasionally on social media, but the arrest warrants after each post and the continuous threats from Hamas members and accusations of treason made me lose hope that I could make any kind of change.
"I left Gaza in August [2023] to seek a better future for myself and my family."
The sad truth is, when Israelis aren't involved, no one is interested in advocating for the Palestinian rights they claim to care about so d
"I know firsthand that when ordinary Gazans like myself protested against Hamas, there was no media attention.
"No human rights organizations demanded the release of prisoners held for months in Hamas prisons, not to mention those who were tortured by Hamas, and even killed by Hamas—like Issam Al-Saaffein, who was killed under torture in Hamas's jails.
"This trend has continued during the present war. Since October 7, hundreds of Gazans have been killed by Hamas' failing rockets. Hamas has confiscated the food, fuel, and medicine sent to Gaza, and they did not stop here.
"13-year-old Ahmad Breka was shot in the head by Hamas in Rafah while attempting to collect humanitarian aid. Others were fortunate because they were merely shot in the legs by Hamas while attempting to grab humanitarian goods that Hamas stole and kept in their facilities.
"These inhumane acts, along with the agony that Gazans have undergone since October, prompted many to demonstrate anew during this war. They demonstrated in Khan-Younis in front of Yahya Sinwar's house; others protested in the north, asking that Hamas free the captives and cease the war.
"They received the same response from Hamas that I did: They were fired upon.
"And once again, the global media largely overlooked these crimes.
"Daring to take some food in the midst of a war or protesting Hamas isn't the only activity Hamas has persecuted us Gazans for; attempting to play any part of delivering this aid to those in need, or even considering playing any role the day after the war, is enough to get anybody the death penalty from Hamas.
"That's what happened to the Abu-Amro tribe leader, along with two members of his tribe who were killed by Hamas militants a few days ago.
"A couple of months ago, they beheaded the head of a clan leader in the north of Gaza and issued a statement on social media: 'We murdered him, and we will do so to anyone who stands against us and cooperates with Israel.'
"Others who publicly criticized Hamas during the war were reported missing."
Human Rights Advocate
“My POV
“I support the Realign for Palestine project because I also seek to foster a transformative narrative for the Palestinian community—one that acknowledges our failures and wrong decisions in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This narrative renounces violent resistance and champions a peaceful, constructive approachthat acknowledges our neighbors' inherent right to coexist on this land as a fundamental entitlement, not merely a concession by the Palestinians. I aim to cultivate a resilient Palestinian community, both within Palestine and in the diaspora, that embraces this vision and actively participates in its realization. This is why I am proud to support Realign for Palestine.”
About
“Hamza, a Palestinian born and raised in the Gaza Strip, is a peace activist and human rights advocate for the Middle East. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and administrative sciences from the Islamic University of Gaza and currently resides in Germany.”
Hamza Howidy Interview - Summarized
Thought I'd repost this here because it's a detailed summary incase you're like me and can't listen to podcasts, haha.
Just finished listening to what I now understand is a reposted interview from March 31st 2025, posted again October 29th. Podcast is called Conflicted.
Wow, what a great interview. Listen here (about 1hr 30 minutes)
Podcast Episode · CONFLICTED · 10/29/2025 · 1h 35m
I’ll try to summarize much of it. But I’ll be getting many dates wrong. I’ll try to make my uncertainties clear.
I recommend listening to the interview or read the automated transcript in the podcast app.
In case it’s helpful though, I’ve tried to put together a summary below. Adding in some context of what I’ve heard is from Sinwar’s laptop, other files. And surveys of Palestinians. And also some Hamas interviews.
Howidy’s life
Here is Hamza Howidy, a 27 year old Palestinian born and raised in Gaza for 26 years, who lived on a street in clear view of Hamas offices (?). His father had a bad experience in Islam, so he grew up as a non-religious Muslim who still had to go to religious schools in Gaza. While Gaza under Hamas began to transform from secular into an increasingly extreme religious state, with a version of morality police and eventually embracings of death ideology. In 2019 and 2023, Howidy protested against Hamas in a “We Want to Live” protest, and was beaten and jailed both times when his family finally bribed officers to freed him. Because he protested for a day in 2019, he was given a criminal record. And when he protested again in 2023, he was beaten even more severely. And he finally decided to leave Gaza about a month before October 7th 2023. He bribed Egyptian soldiers to get out of Gaza. Then paid smugglers to go to Turkey, then Greece. In Greece he heard about the October 7th attack. There was already 2,000 refugees from Gaza in the same camp as him there. He successfully traveled to Europe afterwards. And in 2025 during the January to March ceasefire, he and other Gazans abroad helped get the word out about the 20-30 thousand protesters in Gaza protesting against Hamas (and also two other objectives he names). This was also a time of aid blockade. The interview takes place March 31st this year. -AstronautSouthern344 (Full post)
