Its on his own social media pages but I have copied and pasted it below. It's long sorry.
Statement by Mu'taz Azzaizah – September 20, 2026
In recent days, there has been a widespread attack on the internet due to statements I made during a podcast discussion. They were distorted in a disgraceful and unfair manner, misinterpreted, and taken out of context by Israel and its Israeli occupation supporters.
I never claimed that the journalists present in the WhatsApp group in Gaza were affiliated with Hamas. I never claimed that Hamas controlled the journalists of Gaza or directed their work, nor did I claim that the presence of any journalist in that group meant they were affiliated with Hamas. Any claim to the contrary is a false claim.
The WhatsApp group I spoke about was simply a group that included representatives from the Hamas government, sharing updates and information about the situation in Gaza. Many journalists were present there, including myself, because receiving updates from government sources was part of our journalistic work, as is the case with journalists around the world.
I have criticized Hamas many times. Hamas is not only a resistance faction in Gaza, but it is also the ruling authority. As a Palestinian, I was born and raised in Gaza, so it is my full right to criticize those who rule me. But it is absolutely unacceptable to distort this criticism and turn it into something I did not say or mean.
When members of my family were killed, when my friends were killed, and when I was threatened and forced to flee and move under constant danger, it was Israel that carried out the killings.
My criticism of the Hamas government does not erase what Israel did to my people, nor does it give anyone the right to use my words to serve the Israeli occupation narrative.
As for the video I filmed of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, I filmed it inside Gaza while I was working as a journalist. I chose not to publish it because I was afraid that revealing the location would expose the Palestinian civilians in the area to danger. After about twenty minutes, Israeli warplanes targeted the location, resulting in the killing of the prisoners, along with Hamas militants who were present there.
To clarify: I did not participate in the events of October 7th, and I was not part of it in any way. I was in Gaza documenting what was happening in front of me.
I will not allow a critical view of a ruling Palestinian authority to be turned into a propaganda material serving the occupation. We have the right to criticize those who rule us, and we have the right to oppose the occupation. Neither of these two rights is nullified.
I remind you once again: the mass killing and massive destruction in Gaza, which I documented with my camera and conveyed to the world, was not committed by Hamas, but by Israel.