(Sunday Times-UK) Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib - Hamas's senior political leader in Qatar, Khalil al-Hayya, declared Thursday that Gaza will never bow down and repeated familiar talking points about martyrdom, jihad and fighting the Zionist enemy. Despite its supposed agreement to President Trump's deal, Hamas is insisting that it will not disarm and that it will not surrender the right to take on Israel through violent means. Thus far, Hamas has said no to an international force and no to Trump's proposed "Board of Peace," which would oversee the strip's deradicalization, recovery and rejuvenation. It has insisted on wanting a role in shaping the transitional authority. Hamas is not behaving as though it plans to peacefully or voluntarily give up power. This is predictable. Hamas is religiously, philosophically and ideologically wedded to the narrative of armed resistance, which is central to its identity. From Hamas's point of view, the Oct. 7 massacre was a step on the path to "liberation." So despite its enormous losses, which could include as many as 25,000 fighters and almost all its senior military leadership in Gaza, including Oct. 7 masterminds Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar and his brother Muhammad Sinwar, Hamas does not view itself as defeated. What is needed to ensure that the war in Gaza is truly over is for the Trump administration and mediators in Istanbul, Doha and Cairo to immediately press for what phase two could look like. This requires holding Hamas to its commitment that it will not be part of a new civilian infrastructure or governance apparatus. The international stabilization force must enter Gaza as soon as possible before the Israeli military has significantly withdrawn. This would ensure that the gap is not immediately filled with the remnants of Hamas. The Trump peace proposal may indeed work, but it can only be achieved through relentless drive and enthusiasm well beyond phase one of the agreement. Otherwise, Gaza will remain subject to the whims of an Islamist terror organization. The writer, a Gaza native, is a resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council.
2025-10-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive