Hamze Awawde (born 1990) [1] is a Palestinian peace activist.
Awawde grew up in the West Bank city of Dura. [2] His family is a prominent one in the Hebron area; his grandfather was a Fatah official. [2] [3] During the Second Intifada, part of Awawde's home was destroyed by IDF soldiers, who thought a terrorist was hiding in the building. [3]
Awawde earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics from Birzeit University, and a master's degree in global community development from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. [2] [4]
In 2011, Awawde joined the Facebook group YaLa Young Leaders, a project organized by the Peres Center for Peace, which was meant to be a space for Israelis and Palestinians to connect on an individual basis. [5] Awawde remained with the group as they expanded, [6] and later became a part of their leadership and organized some programs for them. [4] [7]
In 2014, through a program called New Story Leadership, Awawde traveled to the United States, where he lived in Washington D.C. with an Israeli program participant. [2] [3] At the time, he was an intern at Americans for Peace Now. [2] [3] [8] Awawde and his housemate developed a close friendship that the two aimed to continue when they returned home. [2]
Awade works for Hands of Peace as Regional Manager of the Palestinian Delegation. [4]
In November 2023, Awawde co-organized Building Bridges, Together for Humanity, a joint Israeli-Palestinian anti-hate event in London. [9]
He has described himself as a "nationalist pro-Palestinian" who supports a two-state solution and opposes the BDS movement. [3]
As of 2023, Awawde lives in Ramallah. [9] [10] He is Muslim. [11]