For decades, Gaza has been the centre of an anti-colonial struggle, a place where the existence of Palestinians is a daily act of resistance against the world’s strongest imperial forces. This defiance, deeply rooted in Palestinian self-determination and growing anger towards the brutality enacted upon Palestinian people, has shaped the history of Hamas, the political and militant group controlling Gaza. Beyond Gaza, their presence in the Middle East has created ripples of political turmoil and upheaval ever since the first Intifada movement.
Post October 7th, Israel’s large-scale military offensive to annihilate Hamas has instead intensified anti-Zionism and, even, antisemitism. In contrast, Hamas has been able to galvanise more support from their proxies and allies despite heavy losses. With all this considered, the militant groups’ violent resistance does little to address the deeper ideological and political conflict in the region, rather their continued presence even after the ceasefire deal hinders the region’s long-term stability.
The relentless attacks from Israel, which were termed genocidal by many human rights organisations, have undoubtedly weakened Hamas, but Hamas show no sign of deviating from their fundamental goal, which is to annihilate Israel and achieve Palestinian liberation. “We will continue [our] path,” the Hamas deputy leader added shortly after the death of their leader, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed during the Israeli invasion. Despite this, Hamas’ claim to be solely a political liberation movement is controversial to say the least, having killed many men, women, and children, and it’s, until recently, deeply antisemitic, sectarian views concerning Israel which were only removed from its Charter in 2017.
Yet, although the terrorist designation may be apt, Western powers remain oblivious to how Israel’s collective punishment of Gaza under the guise of rooting out Hamas does nothing less than add fuel to the fire, which further consolidates Hamas’ support base. Consequently, the path to stable peace in the Middle East still languishes in the dark.
The latest ceasefire deal has left Hamas in power in the smouldering remains of Gaza. In the words of the former US president: “The guns in Gaza have gone silent” but how long this will last, or whether it will be forever, is hard to anticipate. As a proxy of Iran and an ally of Houthis, Hamas has vowed to fight the occupational forces and their recent ceasefire agreement is nothing less than a “momentary” retreat for a formidable resurgence against the state of Israel. For Hamas, to be in a long-term non-aggression state with Israel is to violate their loyalty to their fundamental ideologies and long-term goals. That being said, Israel has emphasised often that they will only end the conflict once Hamas is no longer in control of Gaza, both politically and militarily, yet their goal seems far from reality. While many believe in the feasibility of a long-term peace solution, it remains ambiguous.
The time ahead for the Middle East remains uncertain, as this fragile ceasefire deal offers no guarantee of lasting peace. Though a respite from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a permanent peace in the Middle East requires more effort than a meagre ceasefire. With Israel failing to overthrow Hamas, and the endless possibility of more conflict in the future, peace should no longer be a fleeting moment but rather, a sustained reality through international cooperation that recognises the dignity and liberty of Palestinians and Israelis alike.
“Palestine-06316 – West Bank” by archer10 (Dennis) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.