Hamas officials making ‘hypocritical attempts’ to evacuate their families from Gaza, COGAT chief fumes

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories reveals that several Hamas officials in Gaza submitted requests for their family members to leave the Strip, and in some cases even requested to leave themselves, all while the terror group has been encouraging Palestinians not to evacuate Gaza City ahead of the IDF’s upcoming offensive.

The “hypocritical attempts of senior officials in Gaza City and the Hamas terror organization to evacuate their family members to a third country through the Israeli mechanism for evacuating Gaza residents” is published by COGAT chief Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian on his Arabic-language Facebook page.

“In recent weeks, several requests have been submitted by senior officials for their families to leave the Gaza Strip, some of whom even requested to leave themselves, but their requests were denied by Israel,” COGAT says.

They include Muhammad Madhoun, a minister in the Hamas government, together with his family members; the family of Isma’il al-Ashqar, head of Hamas’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee; and the family of Alaa a-Din Bata, head of a Hamas government committee.

In addition, COGAT says that Gaza City Council member Anwar Atallah left the Gaza Strip two weeks ago with his family to an unnamed country via Jordan, “with the approval of the defense establishment.”

While Hamas calls the residents of Gaza City NOT to move south, its operatives fear for their own lives and are seeking to leave the Gaza Strip. They are using residents of northern Gaza as human shields while looking out for their own interests.

Two weeks ago, a member of the… pic.twitter.com/VD2WuD7J23

— COGAT (@cogatonline) September 14, 2025

“While the Hamas terrorist organization calls on you, the residents of Gaza City, not to move south, its operatives fear for their own lives and are seeking to leave the Gaza Strip,” says Alian on Facebook. “They are using you as human shields while looking out for their own interests.”

“Hamas’s hypocrisy is blatant. While its operatives try to flee the Strip with their families, the murderous organization abandons you, the residents of Gaza, and exerts psychological terror on you to remain in Gaza City as human shields,” he says.

Alian adds that “the despicable Hamas is orchestrating a vile campaign against you to serve its murderous goals. It endangers you, harms your families, and sacrifices the entire Strip on the altar of terror, dragging it toward ruin. Do not let the organization’s lies harm you.”

In recent days, the IDF has called on Palestinians in all areas of Gaza City to leave. Out of the estimated one million Palestinians there, some 300,000 have since left for other areas of the Strip. The military has said that Hamas has made efforts to prevent civilians from leaving.