(Newsweek) Bassem Eid - The heart-wrenching stampede that unfolded in Gaza last Thursday casts a stark light on the brutal reality of life under Hamas rule and serves to clarify the accountability for Gaza's plight. The chaos and desperation that led to this tragedy are direct outcomes of Hamas' governance, which prioritizes violence and killing Jews over the welfare of its population. It is essential to acknowledge the root causes of the suffering of my brothers and sisters in Gaza. Hamas' diversion of resources, suppression of dissent, and neglect of civilian needs must end. The Palestinian people must demand accountability and seek a future where governance prioritizes human dignity, economic opportunity, and peaceful coexistence. Like a Mediterranean North Korea, Hamas has diverted all of its resources to warfare. It and its ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, have repeatedly fired rocket salvos into Israel. In October 2023, Hamas invaded Israel, massacring over 1,200 innocents in a single day - including 300 young people at an all-night dance party celebrating peace. Hamas is still holding over 130 hostages. As a human rights activist and a human being, I recognize that it defies all rules of geopolitics, morality, and human nature to suggest that Israel not respond militarily to dismantle Hamas and rescue its people. The plight of Gaza is a wound at the heart of the Middle East, a testament to the failures of an international policy that has foolishly coddled a brutal tyrant and implacable foe. Only by dismantling the governing rule of the irredeemable Hamas can we begin to heal this wound. The writer is a Palestinian peace advocate, political analyst, and human rights pioneer who founded the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group in 1996.
2024-03-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive