Hamas Leaders Are Desperate to Escape. Here's Who Tried to Leave.
Senior Hamas officials and their families have secretly submitted official requests to Israel to leave the Gaza Strip for a third country, even as the organization publicly calls on residents to remain in the city and serve as human shields.
Senior Hamas leaders in Gaza City and other key figures within the organization have secretly submitted requests to Israel for them and their families to be allowed to leave the Gaza Strip for a third country. This development was revealed by Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and highlights a significant double standard. The requests were made even as Hamas continues to run a public campaign urging residents to remain in Gaza City and not evacuate south to the humanitarian zone, a move that would expose them to the impending IDF ground operations.
Over the past few weeks, a number of requests were submitted by senior officials, some of whom sought to leave themselves while others only asked for their families to be evacuated. All of these requests have been denied by Israel. The officials who have attempted to flee include Mahmoud Madhoun, a minister in the Hamas government, as well as the families of Ismail Ashkar, the head of Hamas’s foreign and security committee, and Alaa al-Din Bat'ha, the head of a governmental committee. A single exception was made for Gaza City council member Anwar Atallah, who was granted permission to leave with his family via Jordan two weeks ago.
Major General Ghassan Alian, the head of COGAT, issued a direct message to the residents of Gaza City, exposing the hypocrisy. "While the Hamas terror organization calls on you, residents of Gaza City, not to go south, its operatives are afraid for their lives and are asking to leave the Strip," he stated. "They are using you as a human shield and meanwhile, are looking out for themselves."
Alian added, "The hypocrisy of Hamas is rampant. At a time when its operatives are trying to flee the Strip with their families, the murderous organization is abandoning you, the residents of Gaza, and is exerting psychological terror on you to stay in Gaza City as a human shield." He concluded with a warning, urging residents not to fall for the organization's lies and to realize that Hamas is sacrificing them and the entire Strip for its own "murderous goals."
