Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb

Hamza Ali al-Khateeb (; 24 October 1997 – 25 May 2011) was a 13-year-old Syrian boy who died while in the custody of the Ba'athist Syrian government in Daraa.

On 29 April 2011, he was detained during a protest. On 25 May 2011, his lifeless body was delivered to his family, having been badly bruised and mutilated. Hamza's family distributed photos and video of the body to journalists and activists. Shocked by what was depicted, thousands of people showed their support for Hamza online and in street protests. His death galvanized the nascent Syrian revolution.

Background Hamza lived with his parents in the village of Al-Jiza in the Daraa Governorate, southern Syria. He enjoyed watching his homing pigeons fly above his house since drought had left him unable to enjoy swimming. He had a reputation for being generous. "He would often ask his parents for money to give to the poor. I remember once he wanted to give someone 100 Syrian pounds ($2), and his family said it was too much. But Hamza said 'I have a bed and food while that guy has nothing'. And so he persuaded his parents to give the poor man the 100," his cousin told Al Jazeera.

Hamza had an older brother, Omar, who was arrested in 2018 for refusing conscription. Another relative, Yunus, was also detained. His younger brother, Suraqa, and his mother survived to see the fall of the Assad regime. The Globe and Mail summarized: "His jaw and both kneecaps had been smashed. His flesh was covered with cigarette burns. His penis had been cut off. Other injuries appeared to be consistent with the use of electroshock devices and being whipped with a cable." Following the pattern of demonstrators calling Fridays a "day of rage," Saturdays in Syria were called the "day of Hamza."

On 14 March 2012, The Guardian released 3,000 emails leaked from Asma al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's wife, and her father, Fawaz Akhras. Akhras had emailed Bashar al-Assad, instructing him to respond to allegations that children were tortured in Syria by dismissing it as "British propaganda." Doctors hired by the Syrian government performed an autopsy and concluded his wounds were not compatible with torture, but many doubt the veracity of these findings, nor changed public opinion on the matter.

Legacy Hamza remained a prominent symbol in the chants and collective memory of the Syrian revolution throughout the years of the uprising.

Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the newly appointed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa referenced Hamza in his inaugural speech, describing the revolution's victory over the Assad regime as one that came in part "from the fingertips of Hamza al-Khateeb."

On 31 January 2025, Syrian security forces arrested Atef Najib, cousin of Bashar al-Assad and the former head of the Political Security Directorate in Daraa Governorate, the branch responsible for detaining Hamza. The arrest was widely regarded as a symbolic act of justice and a moment of closure for the memory of Hamza.

On 3 July 2025, during a national event unveiling Syria's new visual identity, drone formations above the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Damascus depicted key symbols from the Syrian revolution. Among the aerial illustrations projected in the night sky was the image of Hamza.