Voice from Gaza: ‘Asking me if I condemn Hamas is an insult’

I was talking with my friend Ramez after midnight on October 6 about my plans to visit Gaza at the beginning of November to finalise the licensing of the Gaza Youth Committee with the Palestinian Authority and to implement joint projects between Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and between Palestinians and Israelis.

We also discussed continuing our initiatives to build bridges of communication between them, promoting mutual respect, and continuing our work to build a new generation of Palestinian leadership that actively participates in decision-making and influences it.

While talking to him, I could hear an Israeli drone buzzing in the background, which prompted me to say that I missed its annoying sound, a sound that reminds me of the atmosphere and wars in Gaza. As usual, I woke up early at 8am on the morning of October 7.

I don’t know what led me to open Facebook, something I don't typically do at that hour, only to see live broadcasts and numerous videos, and to read posts about Hamas fighters storming the border by land, sea, and air, infiltrating Israeli homes, army positions, and a music festival attended by hundreds of young people, who were being killed, chased, and brutalised.

What surprised me the most — and I initially thought the videos were fake — were the scenes of dead bodies with people standing around them, as well as scenes of civilians and Israeli soldiers being beaten, kidnapped into Gaza, and assaulted. Hamas leaders were broadcasting speeches, inciting people and giving them the impression that they were minutes away from reaching Tel Aviv.