A Gazan peace activist who moved from the Strip months before October 7 has criticised Western pro-Palestine protesters as “supporting terrorists with good public relations.”

Hamza Howidy, 26, moved to Germany last August after being detained and beaten by the terror group for his activism. In 2019, Howidy alongside Palestinian activist Amin Abed and hundreds of Gazans took to the streets to demonstrate against the living conditions in the Strip, in what has since been dubbed the “We Want to Live” rallies.

Howidy and Abed were arrested by Hamas security forces clamping down on the marches, and were imprisoned, beaten and tortured.

“The problem is that the people in the West believe in the freedom fighters narrative, which is totally wrong. Yes, Israel deserves much criticism – I personally criticise Israel. But what Hamas does is not fight for freedom, nor defend the rights of the Palestinian people,” Howidy told The Times of Israel.

“Campus protesters believe that Israel is made up of white supremacists. They don’t know that over 50 per cent of Israelis are descendants of Arab Jews,” he said.

“I don’t want to tell them whom to support, but they have to spend more time reading about this conflict before choosing their enemies and their heroes. If they knew what Hamas did to Palestinians, besides what it did to Israelis on October 7, for instance, what it did to us protesters in 2019, they would realise that they are supporting terrorists, but with good public relations.”

Earlier this month, Abed – a well-known opponent of the terror group within Gaza – claimed on Facebook that Hamas had created the grounds for Israel’s invasion of the Palestinian territory, and was afterwards attacked by a group wielding guns and machetes. As he detailed his experience as a Hamas critic, Howidy slammed misconceptions about both the terror group and Gazans.

“I often hear Israelis asking Gazans why we did not oppose and overthrow Hamas. You can see what happened to Amin Abed for writing a Facebook post. So just imagine the consequences for going to a protest,” he said. “It could get you killed.”

“But I feel deeply about my country, and I don’t want it to be depicted as full of terrorists and terror supporters. I want people to see the other side,” he said. “We have moderate people like every other country, but we don’t have the opportunity to speak, nor the protection.”

He stated that by being an outspoken critic, he can inspire fellow Gazans to follow his lead. “I believe that Gazans first want to see someone start to make his voice heard, and others will follow,” he said.

“The civilian population in Gaza today is extremely angry at Hamas, even many of its former supporters. While they don’t necessarily love Israel, people have realised that Hamas is using them as pawns and human shields, nothing more. They have realised that Hamas’s only strategy is to maximise civilian casualties.”

In the interview which took place in his undisclosed German town, Howidy described growing up in Gaza surrounded by hateful propaganda and brainwashing against Israel, Jews and other religions, including the Christian minority living there. He studied accounting at Gaza’s Islamic University for four years.

“There were two or three Christian schools in Gaza, and a Christian club where people met to play soccer,” he recalled. “One of my professors said he wanted Hamas to close them down.”

“As I said, it’s like Isis,” he said of Hamas’s targeting of any religion that is not Islam, “but with good PR. They know how to support the freedom fighter narrative. And thanks to the Qatari and Turkish regimes, they can finance themselves.”

He said he made covert contact with Israelis on social media, developing friendships, and advised his fellow Gazans to build such relationships.

“[Israelis] are normal people. There is a small minority of extremists, but with most of them, you can reach a reconciliation,” he said. “You should just understand their concerns – particularly when it comes to security. Just look at their history.”