![Palestinian Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Cairo on January 14, 2009 after ending a round of talks with Egyptian officials. Hamas has accepted an Egyptian ceasefire proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip and Cairo is awaiting Israel's response, a senior Egyptian diplomat told AFP today. AFP PHOTO/CRIS BOURONCLE (Photo credit should read CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP/Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2018/05/GettyImages-105475640.jpg/GettyImages-105475640.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=sLeFdD1p)
Asmaa al-Ghoul is a columnist for Al-Monitor's Palestine Pulse and a journalist from the Rafah refugee camp based in Gaza.
![Palestinian Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Cairo on January 14, 2009 after ending a round of talks with Egyptian officials. Hamas has accepted an Egyptian ceasefire proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip and Cairo is awaiting Israel's response, a senior Egyptian diplomat told AFP today. AFP PHOTO/CRIS BOURONCLE (Photo credit should read CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP/Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2018/05/GettyImages-105475640.jpg/GettyImages-105475640.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=sLeFdD1p)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![Palestinians gather in front of the gate of Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza during a protest against the blockade calling for reopening of the crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip July 3, 2017. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC15A4BE0430](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2017/09/RTS19K8O.jpg/RTS19K8O.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=OvexZ1sD)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![Palestinian artists perform at al-Shawa theatre in Gaza City March 9, 2010. Live theatre is rare in the Gaza Strip; public criticism of its Islamist rulers is rare too. So perhaps it was no surprise that a play which gives vent to Palestinians' frustrations with their leaders should be a hit. Picture taken March 9, 2010. To match Reuters Life! PALESTINIANS-GAZA/THEATRE REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT POLITICS SOCIETY) - RTR2BXPY](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2017/03/RTR2BXPY.jpg/RTR2BXPY.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=VJfZLl6P)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![Ebra_Khet.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2017/02/Ebra_Khet.jpg/Ebra_Khet.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=vTkyaMNg)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![BuildPalestine.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/12/BuildPalestine.jpg/BuildPalestine.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=kOFYsslD)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![GettyImages-136477065.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/12/GettyImages-136477065.jpg/GettyImages-136477065.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=17yLsrE9)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![A Palestinian man rests as other take part in a protest calling for a better living condition for people, in Gaza city April 2, 2016. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem - RTSD8M3](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/10/RTSD8M3.jpg/RTSD8M3.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=WrsrEsNV)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![KhaledJuma.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/09/KhaledJuma.jpg/KhaledJuma.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=yVbjrxss)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - JANUARY 25: Palestinian women show their inked fingers after voting in the Palestinian legislative election at a UN school which is being used as a polling station, January 25, 2006, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. The newly elected Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) will be expanded, and half of the seats will be allotted by proportional representation of all parties that gather more than two percent of the vote. (Photo by Abid Katib/Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/09/GettyImages-56663762.jpg/GettyImages-56663762.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=EEdqDPpG)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![14064279_727555840709921_4251926069211181939_n.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/08/14064279_727555840709921_4251926069211181939_n.jpg/14064279_727555840709921_4251926069211181939_n.jpg?h=bb0b96e8&itok=41Kc0NeO)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul
![Palestinian Hamas supporters kiss a poster of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a Hamas rally in support of Erdogan's government against a coup attempt, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RTSI91L](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/07/RTSI91L.jpg/RTSI91L.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=6btsZ5il)
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Asmaa al-Ghoul