October 7th 2023, the worst massacre of Israeli civilians in Israel’s history
Who are Hamas?
Hamas’ Charter was published in 1988. Ruthlessly exploiting the Palestinian people for their own ends, Hamas are an Islamist terror organisation no different in character, nature or means to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. Hamas is the most popular organisation in Palestinian politics despite its constitution and teachings being profoundly anti-Semitic. Its Charter says: (Introduction): Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah’s victory is realised (Article 7): The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him (Article 28): Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people. May the cowards never sleep (Article 32): Islamic groupings all over the Arab world should also do the same, since all of these are the best-equipped for the future role in the fight with the warmongering Jews.
What happened on October 7th?
Following the Israeli response, Hamas could have stopped the so-called siege at any time by returning kidnapped Britons, Israelis and others. They continue to refuse to do so. This is the number one thing that those wanting to stop the violence should be advocating for: release of hostages. Why is no one in Palestinian politics publicly pushing for this? Their silence should tell you everything you need to know. In the Israeli response since, Israel has dropped leaflets, sent out text messages, issued radio and social media warnings, and utilised so-called ‘roof-knocks’ with empty shells, in order to encourage civilians away from fighting areas. This is far beyond what the Americans did in Fallujah, what the Iraqi army did to liberate Mosul from ISIS, what the British had to do in Helmand, what Turkey is doing in Northern Syria, or what any Palestinian organisation has ever done in history to Jews. The idea that Israeli responses to Palestinian[1]Hamas aggression are the same, is plainly and painfully untrue.
Why now?
Hamas is a terrorist proxy of Iran. It is funded, trained, armed and logistically supported by the Iranian government, as are Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Kata’eb Hezbollah in Iraq and others in Bahrain and Syria. As the New York Times, Washington Post and others have reported, all these organisations met several times this year in Iran to coordinate their activities against Israel and demonstrate it is boxed in. Iran are doing this to sabotage the Abraham Accords between Israel, Morocco, the UAE and Bahrain, and to destroy prospects for Israeli-Saudi normalisation. Iran sees in these initiatives the Middle East slipping away from their violent grasp and want to resurrect the horrors of past centuries to drive a wedge between these partners and become the bastions of “resistance” against America and Israel. This is why Hamas tell Palestinian civilians to ignore Israel’s calls to evacuate: the more dead Palestinians that are displayed on Saudi, Moroccan and Bahraini TV screens, the harder it will be for their leaders to align with Israel.
What is the history of Gaza? And what other approaches has Israel used?
Between 1948 and 1967, Gaza was occupied by Egypt. There were no protests; no calls for resistance; no calls to end the occupation. In 1967 Israel captured Gaza from Egypt after the latter joined with Jordan and Syria in starting the Six Day War. Between 1967 and 2005, Israel controlled Gaza. The international community asked it to leave, saying that the suicide bombs and rocket attacks would stop if Israel left. It did. In 2005, Israel left Gaza, uprooting 10,000 Israeli-Jews and leaving behind their communities. Hamas respond by firing thousands of rockets into Israel. In 2006, Gaza elected Hamas. In 2007, Hamas executed all members of the Opposition and murdered any known gay people in the Strip. It continues to fire rockets into Israel. In 2007, Israel launches a partial blockade on the territory to prevent rocket-making equipment proliferating. It constructs a permitter fence which western commentators decry as ‘boxing Gaza in’. We have now seen what would happen frequently were it not there. Between 2008-2021, Hamas ignite multiple wars with Israel through rocket fire, kidnappings, and terror attacks against Israelis. Israel responds with strikes that are condemned by the international community. At other times it tried targeted killings of senior leaders, also condemned by the international community. Israel has tried the following things to manage terrorism from Gaza, all broadly condemned by the left-wing protestors even when Israel did as they asked:
Controlling Gaza
Leaving Gaza
Erecting a perimeter fence around Gaza
Targeting particular leaders in Gaza
Enacting a partial blockade on Gaza
Nothing has stopped terrorism. In fact, terrorism from Gaza has grown, with other groups like Islamic Jihad now sheltering umbrella of Hamas.
Conclusion
Given this, and the number of different approaches Israel has tried, the question we should be asking is: what are the alternatives to strong Israeli military action? Of course Israel should minimise civilian fatalities, but what is the alternative to their action? No one seems able to provide an answer that doesn’t repeat past failures. We should also be clear and united in our opposition to Hamas and its indoctrination of Palestinian civilians. They are no friends of the West, no friends of the civilians they brainwash and shelter behind, and no friends of minority communities anywhere. They are terrorists and should be referred to as such.