Hamas official Basem Naim has said it is “disgraceful to die a coward” in a Facebook post from Qatar, apparently urging Gazans to ignore Israel’s latest evacuation order and instead embrace death in Israel’s imminent military operation in Gaza City.
Naim’s latest social media post comes as Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has threated to “open the gates of Hell” on Gaza City if Hamas refuses a deal that would see the return of all hostages - the living and dead - still held captive by the terrorists.
Horrifying: Hamas leader Basem Naim just posted on Facebook as the Israeli army prepares to invade Gaza City: “If death is inevitable, then it is a disgrace to die a coward.”
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) August 21, 2025
From Qatar, he tells people to die instead of evacuate. Hamas is a death cult. pic.twitter.com/bkVtpeGpzG
Naim’s post, in Arabic, translates as: "If there is no escape from death, then it is disgraceful to die a coward. And nothing occurs in the dominion of Allah except what Allah wills..."
Following Hamas’ election in 2006, Naim, who holds a degree in medicine from Germany and a PhD in surgery, was named Minister of Health in 2007.
As minister, Naim replaced Fatah-affiliated hospital directors and medical staff with Hamas-aligned officials.
Naim stepped down as Minister of Health in 2012 and became the head of the Council on International Relations in Gaza.
Ihab Hassan, a Palestinian Christian political commentator, attacked Naim’s statement, pointing out the apparent hypocrisy of Naim’s words, writing on X: “From Qatar, he tells people to die instead of evacuate. Hamas is a death cult.”
Qatar has long housed senior Hamas officials in lavish mansions, notably the former head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who resided in Doha from 2016 until his assassination by Israel in 2024 at a guesthouse in Tehran, Iran.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.