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Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-838416
Keeping Terrorists Off Israel's Borders
(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - Just as Israel will not allow Hizbullah to reestablish itself along its northern border, it will not allow Hamas to rebuild its murderous capabilities along its border. Yet Hamas remains a significant presence in Gaza. On Sunday, Hamas terrorists wore uniforms and rode through the streets in white pick-up trucks, brandishing their automatic rifles. The new U.S. administration has been unequivocal: Hamas cannot openly govern Gaza nor control it from behind the scenes. If it refuses to disarm, the war in Gaza will not end. Israel will have no other choice. International donors, with the exception of Qatar, will not invest unless Hamas ceases to be a military force and relinquishes its control. The question is whether they have the fortitude to condition any aid to Gaza on the dismantling of Hamas. Israel will need to insist that there can be no reconstruction of Gaza with Hamas still in power. Otherwise, Hamas will simply rearm, setting the stage for continued conflict, because Israel cannot live with a viable Hamas threat on its border within striking distance of neighboring Israeli communities. After Oct. 7, there is no room for any illusions about what leaving Hamas unchecked would mean.