Inas Haniyeh, the daughter-in-law of slain Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and the widow of his son Hazem, prompted anger among Gazans after becoming a social media star and launching a luxury item business in Jordan.
The young widow, who also lost two of her children in a targeted IDF strike on her husband and his brothers last year, left the Strip, claiming her mother's need for medical attention and settled in Jordan, where she remarried.
She initially rose to prominence soon after her husband and kids were killed, when she turned her anger at Arab leaders, whom she accused of abandoning the Palestinians. "You will not enter paradise without my permission." She said in a post. that quickly went viral. The sentence became a cynical meme across Arab social media, drawing heavy criticism of Inas for its pretentious tone.
Although she has since become a prominent and active figure in the Palestinian digital sphere—helped by her sharp, articulate, and charismatic presence—Inas was being seen as a polarizing figure and was accused by Palestinians in the Strip of being out of touch, privileged, and condescending due to her family background and political status.
After selling designer bags and accessories for a high price, and launching a perfume she called after her father-in-law, her new life and successful business, IHGAZA, were seen by many as a denial of the real struggle of her people. Palestinian social media was full of harsh criticism from residents of the Strip.
In a post on X, one man slammed what he called the five-star refugee, who moved on to open a business like nothing was wrong in the world.
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Another post slammed her decision to launch a perfume she named Haniyeh. "How did she leave the Strip if Israel blocks members of Hamas from leaving?" he asked. "And why did she leave the 'paradise' she had praised in the past? Why does she not stand by the women of Gaza?
To her supporters, Inas is a symbol and a woman who survived a terrible tragedy only to rebuild her life. To her critics, she is a symbol of disconnect and a double standard after using her status to escape the war and her call for resistance from a safe distance.