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Why Trump Must Insist on Removing Hamas from Power

(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - Hamas has reportedly expressed readiness to cede control of Gaza and hand it over to the Palestinian Authority. This does not mean, however, that Hamas is willing to lay down its weapons. Hamas wants the PA to return to Gaza only to pay salaries and fund reconstruction. That arrangement would allow the terror group to rearm, regroup and rebuild its military capabilities. Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan recently affirmed that his group has no intention of laying down its weapons or ending its rule. In addition, Hamdan stressed that Hamas leaders will not leave Gaza. He told Al-Jazeera in mid-February, "The issue of the weapons of the resistance and the leaders of the resistance is non-negotiable." Hamdan also threatened that Hamas would not allow any non-Palestinian party to enter Gaza. No Arab country will agree to play any role in the administration of Gaza as long as Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups continue to maintain an armed presence there. Hamas leaders are basically saying that they do not believe the Trump administration's talk about removing Hamas from power. Ignoring Hamas's threats means that there will be more Oct. 7-style massacres of Israelis. Any deal that allows Hamas to remain in power would be disastrous for Israel, the Palestinians, and Arab states threatened by the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance." There should be no reconstruction of Gaza as long as Iran's proxies remain in power. The idea of allowing the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza as a civilian body that pays salaries and funds projects should be rejected by the Trump administration. The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
2025-02-23 00:00:00
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