A single Instagram post by a well-known Gaza resident in recent days ignited an online storm in Palestinian circles.

The young woman, known on social media as “Malak Fadda” and widely popular among Palestinians, wrote on September 10: “Praise be to God — my brother was admitted for treatment abroad and I am accompanying him. Please pray for his safety.” The post included photos of her escorting a young man toward an ambulance, and in other images he appeared to be suffering from injuries to his head and arm.

Her post drew swift backlash online, much of it centered on claims that Fadda had raised substantial sums of money, supposedly for Palestinians in need, and then left Gaza despite having previously vowed never to do so. The claims of impropriety, widely circulated on social media, could not be independently verified.

The uproar reflects Fadda’s remarkable popularity online. A 22-year-old from Rafah, she has gained a massive following during 23 months of war — more than 3.4 million followers on Instagram and over 200,000 on TikTok, rare numbers for a person posting mainly in Arabic.

While some commenters offered warm wishes for her safety and her family’s health, many others reacted with anger to the departure of Fadda, who has been one of the more prominent faces of the hardships faced by Gazans and who founded an organization whose stated aim was to raise donations for Gazans affected by the war.

One person wrote on X: “She fled Gaza under a humanitarian pretext, leaving behind a million dollars of theft and betrayal. Malak Fadda is not sick but infected with something far worse: corruption and hypocrisy.” Another post read: “Malak left Gaza at the first opportunity with millions of dollars in her account, while the donations she advertised amounted to nothing more than crumbs.”

Several users resurfaced a clip of a March interview she gave Al Jazeera in which she declared: “We will not leave Gaza, because we are the land’s rightful owners. If they destroy it, we will rebuild. If our children die — we will bring new children.” The posters shared that video as ostensible proof of Fadda’s hypocrisy.

The accusations against Fadda come against the backdrop of her widespread renown during the war, as well as a general increase in Gazans seeking donations on social media since the conflict began.

Commenters argued that Fadda exploited her vast online popularity to raise money and gain fame and then, when the opportunity arose, fled the Strip, despite previously urging Gaza residents to remain on their land.

Some users employed very harsh language against Fadda. One wrote: “This is how they trade in blood — she fled to Jordan after raking in millions!”

Another called her “a Hamas........

© The Times of Israel