Watan-After the significant anger sparked by Omani doctor Ayman al-Salami due to his statements, which were described as disconnected from reality regarding the popularity of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, academics and Arab activists affirmed, with evidence, the falsehood of those claims, stating that they are closely aligned with what the Zionists want to promote.

Dr. Ayman al-Salami, who participated in treating the injured in Gaza for a short period before returning to his country, claimed that “the people of Gaza see the events of October 7th as a real disaster, and that the majority of them hold Hamas responsible for the situation and feel regret.”

In his recorded statements, al-Salami added that the residents of the besieged enclave “say if this incident hadn’t happened, it would have been better, and that they do not engage with the Palestinian resistance movement.” He went further to claim that “the people of Gaza blame Hamas, and there is a smaller faction that supports the operation,” referring to the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7th, 2024.

Palestinian academic refutes Ayman al-Salami’s claims

Many responses to these statements were noted, including those by Palestinian activist Adham Abu Salmea, a Gaza native, who refuted al-Salami’s testimony with seven points, seen by many as “unrelated to reality.”

Abu Salmea, expressing appreciation for al-Salami’s visit to Gaza and assistance to the wounded, stated, “The duration of the doctor’s visit to Gaza was short, confined to a hospital, which is not sufficient time to form a general impression of the community, and his words reflect this reality.”

He added, “He claims that people told him there was no connection, communication, or interaction with Hamas before October 7th and no emotional connection.” Abu Salmea responded to this claim, saying, “The esteemed doctor overlooked that the government that oversees the affairs of the people in Gaza is practically led by Hamas. This means doctors, teachers, engineers, janitors, and others follow a government led by the movement, so how do people not interact with it?”

Abu Salmea continued in his tweet on the X platform, “The esteemed doctor overlooked the estimates of the occupation that the number of Hamas members in Gaza exceeds 150,000. Assuming each of them has a family of five, this means that about a third of Gaza’s population is affiliated with or sympathetic to Hamas.”

Survey on Hamas’ popularity in Gaza

The academic referred to what the Palestinian Survey Center affirmed in recent political and opinion studies, indicating that 71% of Palestinians supported the Al-Aqsa operation, with 70% satisfied with Hamas.

One of Abu Salmea’s points in response to Ayman al-Salami’s statements concluded with respect to the people of Oman:

• “What the esteemed doctor said is an attempt to convince himself of some of his beliefs, and he will find among our people those who accept them, but certainly people will not be 100% satisfied with what happened, and people under the pressure, killing, and Zionist crimes will present varying views as much as they can endure under this tremendous pressure.”
• “It was expected that people focus on conveying the pain of the people and the occupation’s destruction of hospital infrastructure and medical facilities, and the nation’s role in enhancing their steadfastness and endurance, rather than involving himself in issues beyond his expertise, and he is not in a position or place that allows him to generalize them.”
• “The esteemed doctor spoke about life in Gaza before October 7th being normal, and I won’t comment on that, and I will refer him to United Nations reports that talk about the hellish life in Gaza before October 7th with a 17-year siege, continuous power cuts, severe water pollution, unemployment exceeding 60%, and food insecurity for about 72% of the population.”

• للحق آثرت عدم الرد على هذا الطبيب لسببين:
  1ـ تقديري لزيارته #غزة خلال الحرب ومساعدته للجرحى.
  2ـ حبي واحترامي لأهلي في #سلطنة_عمان..
  لكن بعد أن وصلتني عشرات الرسائل من أهلنا في عمان تدعوني للتعليق فإنني سأرد بالتالي:
  1ـ مدة زيارة الطبيب لغزة كانت فترة قصيرة داخل مستشفى وهي ليست… https://t.co/L7009cZkR7

  — أدهم أبو سلمية 🇵🇸 Adham Abu Selmiya (@adham922) March 23, 2024

Omanis and Arabs respond

Omani and Arab activists widely shared a video clip of an Omani preacher affirming that “the Palestinians are vigilant and do not reveal their secrets to anyone… their response about not knowing about the resistance is because they do not want to reveal the secret to a stranger (referring to Ayman al-Salami).”

According to the preacher, this is due to what they’ve experienced from “Mossad agents,” pointing to their caution against the treachery of the occupation and its agents, who search for the families of the resistance and the tribes affiliated with the movement, subjecting them to torture. This forces Palestinians to hide their tribes and families for fear of torture.

Businessman Malik bin Hilal al-Yahmadi commented on Adham Abu Salmea’s tweet, saying, “Thank you, brother Adham, for your balanced response, and frankly, your opinion represents the opinion of many Omanis, if not the majority. You have all respect and appreciation.”

Another commenter, Awab Salah al-Din, stated, “Honestly, I cannot think well of anyone who criticizes the resistance and undermines it, especially at this critical time! The obvious thing is to postpone any criticism until after the war to preserve the cohesion of the resistance front if he is concerned about the resistance from its core.”

شكرا لك أخي أدهم على ردك المتزن، وللحق فإن رأيك هذا يمثل رأي الكثير من العمانيين إن لم يكن أغلبهم؛ فلك كل التحية والتقدير..
وتحية للمقـ.ـاومة الفلسـ.ـطينية الباسلة وشعبها المرابط في سبيل الله؛ نسأل الله لهم النصر والتمكين..

— مالك بن هلال اليحمدي (@AlyahmadiMalik) March 23, 2024

He wondered, “What alternatives do they propose? Mahmoud Abbas’ collaborating government? Or surrendering and submitting to projects of settlement and expulsion of our people in Palestine for decades? Not to mention daily killings, humiliation, and torture for a hundred years, not just 75 years.”

Dr. Ayman al-Salami had previously shared pictures of himself on the X platform, documenting his arrival in Gaza and his assistance to the wounded, which garnered praise from followers. However, his speech about Hamas and its popularity was widely refuted by followers, academics, and Arab and Palestinian activists.