Faces of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, as reflected to the world these days, are not necessarily those of declared Hamas members. They do not carry weapons and seemingly have no connection to terrorism. Much of the information about what is happening in Gaza during the war comes through social media influencers who, until October 7, were engaged in entirely different fields.
Today, they are the ones conveying the Palestinian narrative to their millions of followers – both long-time followers and those who have joined in recent months – by documenting the extent of the destruction, their daily suffering, life under minimal conditions, displacement and moving from place to place, and the constant threat of death.
Their activities have significant importance and a direct impact on the lives of Gazans beyond mere documentation and explanation. Many of their videos and posts explicitly call for donations, equipment, and public and political support. These are organized campaigns to collect food, clothing, tents and money for displaced persons, the wounded who need medical treatment, war orphans, and more. According to their reports, their appeals to followers and viewers have so far resulted in substantial donations.
Despite the considerable weight attributed to this in Israel, the battle for narrative and global consciousness is not limited to reports in mainstream media and historical, academic and intellectual discussions in studios and podcasts. Social media, especially TikTok and Instagram in the current era, are perceived as reliable sources of information about events in Gaza.
Here are five Gazans active on social media who are sharing the war in Gaza with the world:
Displaced with the cooks
Bassam Marwan (Abu Basir) is a well-known Gazan businessman and the owner of a restaurant in the upscale Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City. Not much remains of his life before October 7: The restaurant was destroyed, his house collapsed in an IDF attack, and his cars and other assets were also demolished. "Recently, I relocated for the fifth time to keep us safe," he tells Ynet.
Despite his personal situation, at the end of November, he initiated a project in collaboration with World Central Kitchen to prepare and distribute food to 10,000 displaced persons daily. He documents and publishes his activities on TikTok to raise money to fund the continuation of the project.
"I post almost every day about the suffering that accompanies our work, which is done for a sacred purpose – feeding the hungry," he adds. "When I succeed through TikTok, I publish and thank the donors."
"It's not easy. Imagine having to relocate with my equipment and my team of cooks. I have a lot of equipment to move. And when we arrive at a new place, we need to learn how distribution is done within the tent camps and according to which organization. Unfortunately, I can't reach everyone who needs help, but it's better than nothing. I hope it all ends quickly. We're tired of it. May God have mercy on us, and we return to normal lives."
The brothers from Khan Younis
Brothers Awad and Hema Barbach were born into a poor family of Fatah supporters in Khan Younis. Awad became famous after the war began by providing a comedic break, as much as possible. As someone who used to receive the Qatari grant of $100 a month before October 7, he now incorporates in all his videos a phrase he sometimes says in tears and sometimes with a bitter laugh: "Where are you, Al-Imadi Abu Ismail?" (the Qatari ambassador who used to enter Gaza with suitcases of dollars).
His brother, Hema Barbach, became famous in the Arab world for documenting himself distributing the money he raised through his videos to the displaced, orphans and the needy. He calls himself "the father of the poor."
Through their stomachs
Hamada Shakur was a food blogger before the war and worked in social media marketing for several companies. He has about half a million followers on Instagram, and his TikTok account also garners millions of views. His videos are edited like dynamic clips, often without any words. Since October 7, he has focused on collecting and preparing food for the displaced. His donation campaign set a target of 250,000 euros and, so far, he has raised 190,000 euros.
In a recent interview with the Qatari network Al-Ghad, he said: "I try to prepare food and dishes from the Palestinian kitchen using the ingredients found in the aid packages or from the little food that enters the Strip. Through food, I hope to ensure that people do not forget the Palestinian people and the suffering caused to them by the war."
The crying singer
Saleh al-Jafrawi is a well-known Gazan influencer, singer and Hamas supporter who gained special attention during the war due to two videos he published just days apart. In the first he filmed himself celebrating against the backdrop of Hamas launching rockets into Israel, and in the second he recorded himself crying against the backdrop of the bombings IDF.
He introduced himself as someone involved in distributing food to the needy in the Gaza Strip, but recently he was accused of stealing aid money that was intended to reach Gazans on the holiday of sacrifice.