Full Transcript Below
GENEVA, September 14, 2025 — In a rare interview, released on video today by Swiss human rights group UN Watch, a Gaza peace activist formerly imprisoned by Hamas reveals how the terrorist organization exercises influence over UNRWA’s 13,000 employees in Gaza, dominates Al Jazeera media coverage, loots and sells humanitarian aid — and how an Amnesty International researcher got him arrested for promoting peace.
As reported worldwide in April 2020, Aman and his fellow Gaza youth activists were imprisoned by Hamas for organizing a Zoom dialogue to build bridges for peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Following a months-long campaign led by UN Watch, Aman was released, and now lives abroad.
Following are highlights from Rami Aman’s video interview published today.
“Hamas Controlled the Media Inside Gaza, Does Not Allow Any Protests”
For nearly a decade leading up to his arrest, Aman was leading protests against Hamas from inside Gaza. But Al Jazeera’s cameras were nowhere to be found, he said, “because Hamas controlled the media inside Gaza.”
“From 2011 until 2019, I was organizing demonstrations and protests against Hamas. The big one was in 2017, in January. I was with other friends calling the people to go to the streets to let Hamas solve the electricity crisis, to let Hamas find for us a job. They shot at us and no media talked about us. Because of what? Because Hamas controlled the media inside Gaza and outside Gaza.”
“For many Palestinians, Al Jazeera not trusted inside Gaza. No Palestinian in Gaza watches Al Jazeera. No Palestinian in Gaza trusts in UNRWA. No Palestinian in Gaza trust in all of these media.”
“Hamas does not allow any protest inside Gaza calling for peace, or asking Hamas to end the war. But Hamas welcomes any kind of a protest happening in Israel. You will not find Al Jazeera cover any demonstration in Gaza calling for peace or calling to end the war. But you will find Al Jazeera cameras over the Israeli community, because they want the pressure comes from there, from Israel, not from Gaza.”
“If You Are Not Hamas, You Won’t Work at UNRWA”
“In 2007, Hamas started to control everything in Gaza. The media, UNRWA, the private sector… UNRWA was one of these organizations that Hamas distributed their leaders inside, and distributed their employees. Because in UNRWA, it’s like a very good salary for them, and it’s not for all people in Gaza.”
“Hamas started from 2009 to enter that syndicate of the employees inside Gaza and lead this kind of syndicate and also start like to make interviews for the people inside UNRWA. If you are not Hamas, you will not work there.”
Aid Stamped “Not For Sale” Looted by Hamas, Sold in Markets
Aman says that humanitarian aid from UNRWA—stamped “Not for Sale”—is sold in Gaza markets and malls. He blames Hamas and UNRWA.
“The humanitarian aid sells in the markets and sells in the malls inside Gaza. And it’s easy to find these foreign employees watching that. But it’s written “not for sale”—written by the United Nations. But it sells to the people. Who started that? UNRWA and Hamas also.”
“In the media, you will see nothing. But send your crew to Gaza and you will see that. Can you imagine that one cigarette cost $50? One cigarette, $50. So I think Hamas made a lot of money in the war,” said Aman.
“Hamas’s Decisions Came From Iran & Qatar, Hamas Loves Wars”
“Hamas decisions came from Iran, came from Qatar. Hamas decisions didn’t come from the people.”
“Hamas loves the wars. Hamas loves if there is no university. Hamas loves if there is no school. Hamas loves if there are no good lives for the people. Hamas loves if we have just tents in Gaza, just people standing in lines and waiting for food and flour. Hamas loves to control the poverty. Hamas loves if there is no kind of life.”
“How Come Amnesty is Calling For my Arrest?”
On April 8, 2020, Amnesty International researcher Hind Khoudary — who is now a popular Al Jazeera reporter in Gaza — publicly called on Hamas to arrest Rami Aman for his peace initiatives.
“In 2020, we organized a big conference between 10 Gazans and 300 Israelis,” explains Aman.
“We were talking about Coronavirus — not talking about one state or two states, or talking about negotiation. We were talking about how we can save each other.”
“And two days later, I found a post started from a journalist working with Amnesty called Hind Khoudary, asking Hamas and mentioning Hamas leaders on Facebook, to arrest me. And that happened just a day later.”
“This surprised me from the first time because when I checked Hind Khoudary’s profile I saw that she is working with Amnesty and she is a journalist and I know that she is a U.S. fellow.”
“So for me, how come Amnesty is calling for my arrest? How come a journalist asking the security to arrest me?”
From Prison, Rami Aman Hears a Voice at the UN Calling for His Freedom
The major NGOs mostly turned a blind eye to Hamas’s imprisonment of Rami Aman. However, UN Watch campaigned non-stop for his release, leading a coalition of 70 NGOs from around the world to appeal for Aman to be freed.
After months in a Hamas dungeon, on a phone call with his mother, the imprisoned Gaza peace activist was amazed to hear a voice at the United Nations demanding his freedom. It was UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer, speaking for an international coalition. Weeks later, Hamas released him.
In his new video interview, Aman recalls the moment: “August or September, in that time, Hamas security allowed the prisoners to make calls with the families six minutes every day, or every two days. It depends on what they feel.”
“And my mother told me that, ’Yesterday, they mentioned your name in the United Nations.’ I told her, ‘How? When?’”
“She told me, ‘They mentioned your name and 90 countries, they were calling for your freedom. And I told her, ’Mama, please next time when I call, you prepare that video and put it next to you. And when I call you, please let me listen.’
“And that happened two days [later. I called my mother and she was preparing the clip and I heard Hillel’s voice for the first time: ‘Rami Aman, a Palestinian peace activist, we are calling for his freedom… 90 countries: Brazil, Italy.’”
“It was like, yes, I feel in that time after five months, I felt that, okay, they still remember me. This is something good. But the strange thing for me, I don’t know Hillel himself.”
UN Watch Hails “Courageous Peace Activist Rami Aman”
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer hailed Rami Aman as “a truly courageous peace activist who represents the dream of a Gaza freed from the terror grip of Hamas, advancing toward a positive future, based on a constructive vision that includes peace with the Israeli people.”
“Rami Aman is fearless in his pursuit of peace, a cause for which, time and again, he put his freedom and life on the line. The international community, and all who care about a Palestinian future, should be supporting Rami Aman and his movement for peace — instead of enabling the forces that arranged to put him in prison.”
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Full Transcript: Interview With Rami Aman
My name is Rami Aman. I’m a Palestinian from Gaza. I’m leading a group called Gaza Youth Committee. Since years we are trying to create a new kind of generation to create a new kind of leader. And in order to reach that goal, we made a lot of local and external activities talking for peace, talking for building the Palestinian human, and how we can teach the kids and the generation the meaning of life.
My activities toward peace started in 2018, when we were in the border and launched 150 doves with peace messages from 50 Gazans to the Israeli community. And from that time I received a lot of requests and invitations from the Israeli side asking me for more activities and we continued.
In 2019, we made a bike ride marathon and invited 50 Palestinians to ride their bicycles in Gaza and invited 150 Israelis to ride their bicycles in Israel. And after this activity, Hamas arrested me.
And for the first time they started to say that I am a ‘normalizer’ in Gaza. In 2020, we organized a big conference between 10 Gazans and 300 Israelis. We were talking about coronavirus not talking about one state or two states, or talking about negotiation. We were talking about how we can save each other. And two days later, I found a post started from a journalist working with Amnesty called Hind Khoudary asking Hamas and mentioned Hamas leaders in Facebook, for arrest me. And that happened just a day later.
My story in that jail started in April 9th, 2020. 9:00am, I went to the jail I thought that it will be like other like previous experiences, for one week, one day. But from the first time, I realized that I’m entering a very dark tunnel.
Because from the first day they told me that you will stay here for a long time. Not like, the previous times. And they cut my hair and, I was worrying about my family until June. My mother and my father visited me for the first time after two months of my arrest. It was, they rejected any kind of call to me, they rejected any kind of visit to me. I didn’t meet any kind of lawyer, they didn’t meet any kind of any kind of Amnesty or any kind of human rights organization.
Just I was then I know that Palestinian Center for Human Rights they were in touch with my family. They were in touch like with Hamas security, and they were defending on me. At least they made something. The first two months was like the hell for me. It was like nothing there.
No mirror they cut your hair they kill your dignity. No food, no water, no clean water no bathroom. Imagine yourself without a bathroom. Imagine yourself without food, imagine yourself without a mirror. Imagine yourself without like cleaning your body. All of these things made you feel that you are really the loser.
But for me, no, I always believed that I’m not a bad one and I will one day get out. And maybe some people outside calling for my release. After the two months I think after some local pressure inside Gaza they let my family to visit me for the first time.
And then they told my family that Rami is not a bad man. Rami is here for his safety. And I remember my mother and my aunts, they told them, okay why you are putting him in the jail if he is not a bad man, okay, let him get out. They said, maybe it’s not the good time now, but he will release soon. Soon didn’t happen because I was in the jail with the internal security and it’s like, as I told you, like the hell. You are entering the hell by your feet, and you will feel that there is nothing there is no one calling for your release.
The main reason for my arrest wasn’t Hamas. The main reason was the left parties in Gaza, Hind Khoudary and some U.S. fellows. And they cooperated with Hamas because they cooperated in Hamas for calling to arrest me because I found the same post in Hind’s profile in many other left parties.
So it’s easy to understand that there is an operation against me. It’s like a campaign and in Gaza it’s very easy to make a reputation for a man very down by saying that he is a collaborator, he’s talking with Israelis. But it’s like, for me I’m not a collaborator, I’m not a spy.
So, I think she is the main reason to put me in that jail. This has surprised me from the first time, because when I checked Hind Khoudary’s profile I saw that she is working with Amnesty and she is a journalist and I know that she is a U.S. fellow.
So for me, how come Amnesty is calling for my arrest? How come a journalist asking the securities to arrest me? In that time I felt that, okay, before I know that we have a lot of corruption in the civil society inside Gaza and outside Gaza but not in that way, because it’s not fair.
You are talking about human rights, human rights for specific people. What about other people? And I was calling for peace I wasn’t called to kill anyone or target anyone. No one from Amnesty contacted me. No one from Amnesty sent like email.
No one from Amnesty sent me a lawyer. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza they were with me from the first until the last day. And I think they are already funded by Geneva here so no lawyer was with me, just the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. But for Amnesty, they are calling for human rights, but their actions I think away from the human rights because I’m talking here about a real story.
A real story happened with me. I wasn’t calling for kill anyone. I wasn’t calling to stand with Muslims or Christians and Jews. I was calling to stand with all people. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, non-religious, Buddhist. But in the end, Amnesty [shakes head].
August, if I remember, August or September in that time, Hamas securities allowed the prisoners to make calls with the families six minutes every day, or every two days. It depends on what they feel. And my mother told me that yesterday they mentioned your name in United Nations. I told her, how? When? She told me, they mentioned your name and 90 countries, they were calling for your freedom.
And I told her, Mama, please next time when I call you prepare that video and put it next to you. And when I call you, please let me listen. And that happened two days. I called my mother and she was preparing the clip and I heard Hillel’s voice for the first time.
“Rami Aman, a Palestinian peace activist we are calling for his freedom. 90 countries Brazil, Italy.” It was like, yes, I feel in that time after five months, I felt that, okay, they still remember me. This is something good. But the strange thing for me, I don’t know Hillel himself.
After that moment, I felt like, okay, good, I’m okay now. So, I returned and slept early in that time at least someone outside that jail calling for your release. And then, three or four weeks later, Hamas released me. So yes, I was looking for that international pressure. We are calling for peace, global peace. If we made peace between the Palestinians and Israelis I think we can promote peace everywhere. And yes, I still remember his voice very well.
My arrest happened it’s like, a solution for Hamas. Because also from 2011 until 2019 I was organizing demonstrations and protests against Hamas. The big one was in 2017, in January. I was with other friends calling the people to go to the streets to let Hamas solve the electricity crisis, to let Hamas find for us a job. They shot at us and no media talked about us.
Because of what? Because Hamas controlled the media inside Gaza and outside Gaza. Hind Khoudary herself, already she is working with Al Jazeera now. So for many Palestinians, Al Jazeera not trusted inside Gaza. I’m talking about Palestinians inside Gaza.
But maybe for the people outside Gaza they think that Al Jazeera showed the reality. No Palestinian in Gaza watch Al Jazeera. No Palestinian in Gaza trust in UNRWA. No Palestinian in Gaza trust in all of these media. When Hamas controlled Gaza in 2007, Hamas started to control everything in Gaza.
The media, the UNRWA, the private sector, the family, the big families. UNRWA was one from these organizations that Hamas distributed their leaders inside and distributed their employees because in UNRWA it’s like a very good salary for them and it’s not for all people in Gaza.
I’m a Gazan, I’m originally from Gaza. They have like a few space for the people inside Gaza to work in UNRWA. But if you are a refugee, you will find a job, you will find a good money after you retire and you will find like extra time of vacations.
And Hamas started from 2009 to enter that syndicate of the employees inside Gaza and lead this kind of syndicate and also start like to make interviews for the people inside UNRWA. If you are not Hamas, you will not work there.
If you are not, if you are not a refugee, you will not work there. I applied for UNRWA to work there. I’m an engineer, I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical communication engineer. But for me, no, I wasn’t finding the job there in UNRWA. But in Gaza we know that Hamas controlled everything and also the UNRWA knows that a lot of corruption happening because of UNRWA and because of Hamas.
The product, the humanitarian aid sell in the markets and sell in the malls inside Gaza and it’s easy to find these foreign employees look, watching that by their eyes. But it’s written “not for sale”—written by United Nations. But it’s sell for the people. Who started that? The UNRWA and Hamas also. So we need like to find a good people work in UNRWA working for the values of the UNRWA, not just a chance for Hamas and a chance for any other parties, and that it changed after Hamas.
Also the media, Hamas controlled the media, the foreign media, the local media. They can order their stuff in the American media and the French media and all of the foreign media to cover this story and not cover that story.
Also the journalists, the foreign journalists who arrived in Gaza the producers most of them, afraid of Hamas or work with Hamas. So you will not find a good media. But, in our movement, we still believe that we can build our community without Hamas, without all of these factions. Under the PLO, under the Palestinian Authority, but not under the factions.
Hamas decisions came from Iran, came from Qatar. Hamas decisions, didn’t came from the people. And when the people themselves voted for Hamas in 2007 they voted for Hamas to remove Fatah. They didn’t vote for Hamas to choose Hamas.
Hamas love the wars. Hamas love if there is no university, Hamas love if there is no school. Hamas loves if there are no good lives for the people. Hamas love if there are we have just tents in Gaza. We have just people standing in lines and waiting food and waiting a flour. Hamas loves to control the poverty. Hamas loves like if there is no kind of life.
In that war in 2009, I saw that by my eyes when Hamas celebrated after the killing of 1,400 Palestinians and they said it’s a victory. For me, what kind of victory? So it’s easy to celebrate after the killing of 100,000 Palestinians. And that happened now. Hamas said it’s a victory, and Hamas will not care about the lives of the people inside Gaza. What happened in that war and what happened in this war in 2023 happened already in 2009, in 2014, in 2021.
Hamas used the same attitudes, used the people in Gaza and controlled the media, and received the aid. So for Hamas, it’s like a good attitude to make this war every time the people dying and nobody care. But in the end, we are here in the end, it’s a victory. But for us it’s different. All people in Gaza love the life. We are not calling for the death for any Israeli or any others.
You can find many Palestinians in all over the world. We are not calling for death, but Hamas, Hamas teach the Palestinians how to die how to marry 70 houris in the end, and for sure it’s not Islam. It’s an easy way to make a brainwashing for the people inside Gaza and in order to reach their goals because of that Hamas committees, they have one in UNRWA one in media, one for the civil society, one on the border.
Hamas not allow any protest inside Gaza calling for peace or asking Hamas to end the war. But Hamas welcome any kind of a protest happening in Israel. You will not find Al Jazeera cover any demonstration in Gaza calling for peace or calling to end the war.
But you will find Al Jazeera camera over the Israeli community because they want the pressure comes from there, from Israel, not from Gaza. But if you will give the same chance, the same camera in Gaza, you will find the people calling for peace, asking, not asking, calling Hamas to end that war.
And that happened just two or three weeks before October 7th. Hundreds, thousands of Palestinians went to the streets said: Go out, Hamas. Al Jazeera, wasn’t there. Thousands of trucks, including humanitarian aid entered Gaza from December 2023, I think, until now.
But the people inside Gaza are still suffering there is no food, there is nothing, we receive nothing. My sister in Gaza, my family in Gaza, so I know the reality from them and also my friends inside Gaza. Because the people receive nothing there. My sister received nothing in the last from October until now.
They control these aid sell it for the people, with a very high amount. And you can see that not by the media in the media, you will see nothing. But send your crew to Gaza and you will see that. Can you imagine that one cigarette cost $50? One cigarette $50. So what about the box? So I think also Hamas made a lot of money in that war after the humanitarian aid.
Until now, Hamas still control the aid. Hamas is still asking their partners and colleagues in Asia, in America, in England to donate by Bitcoin, or donate by PayPal, or donate by other things. So it’s not just the trucks. Also, Hamas financially made a lot of money.
On my way to be here, I had a call with my friend Waleed and I told him that now I am entering through a tunnel here in Geneva. He told me, a tunnel, like the tunnel in Gaza? I told him, no, it’s like a normal tunnel, the tunnels in Gaza, it’s like something terrified because Mousa Abu Marzook himself, the leader of Hamas he spoke in the media about, “yeah, we made tunnels for our fighters. We made the tunnels to save Hamas members. It’s not our responsibility to take care of the Palestinians. It’s not our responsibility to help the Gazans. It’s UNRWA’s responsibility.” But for sure there is no leader if he is calling himself a leader, just care about his fighters and ignore others.
We are now working to build the Palestinian movement represent the Palestinians inside Gaza, West Bank, Jerusalem, and Palestinian diaspora. And we are preparing like 30 or 50 Palestinian characters. Very educated, very respectful by the people themselves.
Because my vision that, if there is an election, we will nominate ourselves and we need a new kind of leadership, can work with others. We will not neglect anyone. We need to build a real association. We need to build a real theater. We need to build a real school.
Yesterday, I was organize a Zoom call between a friend from Peace Now and my colleagues inside Gaza. We were talking about prepare a class in the south and a class in the north. And our dream like these two classes be a school to teach the people the drawing, the arts, the sports, the values.
This is my vision to build the Palestinian human. Hamas will not stay forever in Gaza. Not because of Hamas, because of people themselves inside Gaza. They don’t want Hamas. People outside know nothing about Gaza and we are here to speak about the reality inside Gaza.
If there is Hamas, if there is no Hamas, we are not afraid. I’m facing Hamas when I was in Gaza, so that will be easy here in Europe. Not to speak against Hamas to tell the realities for the people outside Gaza. And for me personally, I will not stay in Europe. I will return to Gaza and continue my message.