For over two years, the world has watched as a catastrophic war unfolds in the Middle East, one that could have been swiftly resolved had reason and humanity prevailed. Instead, the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has escalated into one of the most brutal conflicts in modern history. It all began with a heinous and unprovoked attack by Hamas and militant Palestinian factions against Israeli civilians—men, women, and children—resulting in the murder of hundreds and the abduction of scores of hostages, including foreign nationals. This was not a battle between soldiers, nor a targeted military operation—it was an act of terrorism designed to spread fear, to break the spirit of a people, and to provoke an all-out war. And yet, in its aftermath, instead of seeking a diplomatic resolution, Hamas doubled down, refusing to return the hostages and using them as human shields in their ongoing campaign against Israel and the West.
Hamas: An Organization Built on Terror
Hamas has never been interested in peace. Their charter explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel, and their tactics have always aligned with that mission. From suicide bombings and rocket attacks to the slaughter of innocents, their actions have never been about justice or national liberation—they have been about terror. The decision to abduct and hold civilians hostage was not a strategic miscalculation; it was a deliberate act of psychological warfare, an attempt to manipulate and blackmail the international community while simultaneously punishing Israel for its very existence.
There is no moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel in this war. Hamas and other militant groups fire rockets from schools, hospitals, and mosques, using their own civilians as shields. They dig tunnels beneath residential neighborhoods, stockpile weapons in apartment buildings, and then cry foul when Israel retaliates. Their strategy is transparent: bait Israel into military action, manufacture images of Palestinian suffering, and leverage international sympathy to advance their war against the Jewish state. It is not merely cynical; it is evil.
The Palestinian People: Complicit or Victims?
While there is much sympathy for the plight of Palestinian civilians—many of whom are suffering from the very policies of their own leaders—it is impossible to ignore the reality that Hamas operates with significant support from within Gaza. The claim that the Palestinian people are helpless victims of Hamas is only partially true. Hamas was not imposed upon Gaza; it was elected. Even when it became clear that Hamas would rule with an iron fist, engaging in corruption, oppression, and endless war, there was no significant uprising against them. Where are the mass protests against Hamas’ rule? Where is the outcry from Palestinian intellectuals demanding peace and a two-state solution? Instead, we see celebrations when Israelis are slaughtered, children being trained for jihad, and a culture that glorifies martyrdom over diplomacy. At what point does complicity become accountability?
The Atrocities of Hamas: War Crimes Beyond Measure
The recent prisoner exchanges have only further exposed the depth of Hamas’ depravity. In what should have been a straightforward exchange of hostages, it was revealed that two innocent children were murdered in captivity—executed at the hands of Hamas. And their mother? Hamas claimed they would return her body, only to produce the remains of a Palestinian woman instead, as if the bodies of the dead were mere bargaining chips in their twisted game. This is beyond a war crime; it is a desecration of human dignity, an act of sadism designed to prolong suffering and reinforce Hamas’ reign of terror.
One of the most heartbreaking examples of Hamas’ brutality is the fate of Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel (4) and Kfir (9 months). The Bibas family was taken hostage on October 7, a moment captured in horrific images that showed Shiri clutching her two terrified children as they were dragged into Gaza by militants. While Hamas initially claimed they were alive, it was later revealed that Ariel and Kfir were murdered, their small bodies hidden from the world while their mother’s fate remains uncertain. The psychological torment inflicted on their father and relatives—who for weeks clung to the hope of their survival—was intentional. It was an act of cruelty designed to inflict maximum pain on an already grieving family and a horrified nation. This was not an act of war; it was an act of pure, unfiltered evil.
And yet, despite these heinous crimes, Hamas supporters parade hostages and the dead through cheering crowds, reveling in the spectacle of human suffering. What kind of society celebrates the abduction and murder of civilians? What kind of leadership intentionally exposes its own people to destruction while refusing every possible avenue toward peace? This is not resistance. This is barbarism.
The International Response: Hypocrisy and Indifference
One of the most infuriating aspects of this war is the international community’s selective outrage. When Hamas massacred Israelis in cold blood, there was a deafening silence from many so-called human rights organizations. Yet, when Israel retaliates—taking extraordinary measures to minimize civilian casualties despite Hamas’ deliberate tactics to maximize them—suddenly the world is up in arms. The United Nations issues condemnation after condemnation against Israel, while turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by Hamas. Where is the global outrage for the hostages, the murdered children, the desecrated bodies?
Moreover, foreign aid continues to pour into Gaza, much of which is funneled directly into Hamas’ war machine. Billions of dollars have been sent to the region, and yet there is no progress in education, infrastructure, or economic development. Instead, there are rockets, tunnels, and weapons. The international community is not aiding the Palestinian people—it is financing their continued oppression under Hamas’ rule.
Israel’s Right to Defend Itself
No nation would tolerate what Israel has endured. No country would accept daily rocket fire on its cities, the kidnapping of its citizens, or the open calls for its annihilation. Israel’s response has been forceful because it must be. The goal is not revenge—it is survival. If Hamas were to lay down its arms tomorrow, there would be peace. If Israel were to lay down its arms, there would be genocide. This is the stark reality that so many in the West refuse to acknowledge.
Israel has every right to protect its people. It has every right to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure that has turned Gaza into a launchpad for attacks. And it has every right to demand the immediate return of all hostages, dead or alive. To suggest otherwise is to demand that Israel accept its own destruction.
The Way Forward: End the War, Crush Hamas
There is only one solution to this war: Hamas must be utterly and completely dismantled. There can be no ceasefire that allows them to regroup, no negotiations that leave them in power, and no diplomatic solution that legitimizes their existence. The Palestinian people must take responsibility for their future and reject the ideology of destruction that Hamas represents. The international community must stop enabling terrorism under the guise of humanitarian aid. And Israel must continue to do what it has always done: defend itself against those who seek its annihilation.
