What Hamas Has Done to the Palestinians
Gaza, the tiny piece of land on the Mediterranean coast densely populated with around 20 million people, is suffering greatly from the wrath of Israel. In the name of the promised state of Palestine or in an effort to maintain Muslim solidarity worldwide, the people – mainly Sunni Muslims – are enduring immense hardships. The death toll has risen to nearly 40,000 according to Hamas health authorities, while Israel reports around 1,000 deaths, including women and children. Injuries are expected to surpass 100,000. However, a truce remains elusive as neither Israel nor Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, are willing to settle. As Hamas, an organization that aims to uphold Islamic values and wage holy war against Israel, refuses to move toward peace by releasing hostages, civilians in Gaza are being harshly punished. Hamas is, in fact, punishing the Gazan people for choosing them, all in the name of God.
Israel is now relentlessly destroying Gaza to punish Hamas, along with those who support them, and to dismantle all infrastructure intended for attacks on Israel. After the brutal October 7th attack on Israel, the country is no longer willing to gamble with its people’s lives. Consequently, Israel’s assault on Gaza is leading to what may be one of the worst war crimes in modern history. Hamas, committed to the removal of Israel and the Islamization of the region, initiated the brutal attack after a long pause during the Jewish holiday, showing no mercy to civilians.
Now, they blame Israel, refuse to release hostages, and perpetuate suffering for their perceived heavenly reward. Israel, particularly under Netanyahu’s leadership, is using the situation very strategically. The attack by Hamas is now being used by Israel on a global scale to undermine the Palestinian cause, which is a dream for Muslims worldwide. It appears that Hamas has destroyed those dreams.
The Islamic Resistance Movement, known by its Arabic acronym Hamas, has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. The movement was founded in 1987 by quadriplegic Palestinian imam and activist Ahmed Yassin and has been associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. In the 2006 Palestinian legislative election, Hamas secured a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council by campaigning on promises of a corruption-free government and advocating for resistance as a means to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation. However, the Islamist organization, which does not recognize the existence of Israel, was seen as a significant threat to Israel. This tension culminated in the Battle of Gaza in 2007, after which Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from the rival moderate Palestinian faction Fatah. Since then, Hamas has governed the territory independently of the Palestinian National Authority.
Following Hamas’s takeover, Israel significantly intensified existing movement restrictions and imposed a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip, with Egypt also enforcing a blockade starting in 2007. Hamas has conducted attacks against Israeli civilians, including suicide bombings and rocket launches targeting Israeli cities. As a result of these militant activities and attacks on civilian targets, several countries – including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States – have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Although Hamas has exploited the harsh conditions in Gaza caused by the blockade to fuel hatred among the youth, this situation has inadvertently benefited Israel, allowing them to brand Palestinians as terrorists and weaken Arab countries efforts to gain recognition for Palestine.
The October 7th attack will be remembered as one of Hamas’s biggest blunders. At the time, Israel was deeply fractured by internal politics, with citizens protesting against the government. However, the Hamas attack unexpectedly united the Israeli people and strengthened their support for the government. Hamas may have believed that the weakened Israeli government would collapse under the assault, that taking hostages would soften Israel’s response, and that they could eventually negotiate peace through Qatari mediation, allowing Hamas to continue ruling Gaza and secure more funding from the Islamic world.
However, Netanyahu, a shrewd leader, saw this as an opportunity to unite the nation and solidify his grip on power. Now, Israel no longer feels the need to compromise with Hamas or the Palestinians, as they have a clear justification for their actions.
Life in Gaza is unbearable, with all boundaries of human suffering crossed. Even before the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, Gaza faced 48% unemployment, and half of its population lived in poverty. However, with the renewed Israel-Hamas conflict, life has become even more miserable. Death, injuries, and destruction have become daily occurrences, with businesses shutting down and access to basic necessities like food and water severely limited. As Hamas continues its battle with Israel, the United States and other countries have been limited in their ability to intervene, while Arab countries, which once celebrated Gaza as a symbol of Islamic resistance, are also not addressing the crisis. The people of Gaza seem abandoned, allowed by extremists to become martyrs for heaven. When we examine Hamas’s contribution to Palestine, it’s clear that they have made the lives of Gazans more miserable and have led to the collapse of the Palestinian cause.
