LOS ANGELES.–Appointing 61-year-old Hamas militant Yahya Sinwar to lead the Hamas terror organization is like voting for Chicago Mafia gangster Al Capone for President of the United States. Hamas’s decision was a message to 74-year-old President Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas will not acquiesce to Israel without a fight, telling 81-year-old President Joe Biden and his national security team that under no circumstances would Hamas end rule of the Gaza Strip. Since the Oct. 7 Holocaust-like massacre killing 1,200, many teenagers at Negev Desert music festival, taking 250 hostages, Israel declared war on Hamas Oct. 8, 2023, vowing to end Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has looted and plundered Gaza for some 17 years, enriching its leadership while forcing ordinary Gazans to live in squalor. Under Hamas, Gazans don’t have running water and electricity.
So, Sinwar, who’s hiding out in Hamas’s labyrinth of underground military tunnels, refuses to surrender the Gaza Strip, something admired by some Palestinians brainwashed to believe that they will one day destroy Israel and return its people to the Holy Land. Gazans don’t recall they lived under the Ottoman Empire and Egyptian rule for over 500 years, never holding sovereignty, like the Kurds, of any territory in the Holy Land. When the British surrendered control of the British Mandate to Jews in 1948 for a homeland, Arabs living in the Holy Land revolted, claiming Israel stole their land. But when Arabs lived under Ottoman, British or Egyptian rule, they never claimed occupation and had reason to revolt. Only after Jews founded the state of Israel did Arabs start revolting, fighting several wars and uprisings over the last 80 years.
Picking Sinwar to lead Hamas shows that the terrorist group has no plans of any ceasefire deal that would enable the Gaza Strip under Hamas rule to rebuild the war-torn territory. “We don’t know how Hamas is thinking or what led them to choose Yahya Sinwar as their chief, especially when his whereabouts are unknown,” 29-year-old Mohammed al-Sharif told the AFP in the central Gaza city of Deir-el-Balah. Al-Sharif knows that his statement targets him for treason, questioning Sinwar’s rule. President Joe Biden and Democrat presumptive nominee Kamala Harris hoped for a ceasefire to end the suffering to Gaza civilians. Hamas appointing Sinwar to lead Hamas shows a degree of defiance showing no interest in any regime change in the Gaza Strip. “He’s a fighter. How will negotiations take place?” asked an unnamed Gaza resident, realizing that the war goes on.
Biden and Harris hoped they could get a ceasefire with Sinwar agreeing to an exile deal, something not happening. Sinwar was appointed after the July 31 assassination in Tehran of 62-year-old billionaire Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh’s targeted killing shows that Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces [IDF] won’t stop its war with Hamas until Sinwar leaves Gaza. After losing his military chief Mohammed Deif in an Israeli air strike Aug. 1, Sinwar is left by himself with a dwindling group of Hamas terrorists who continue the fight. Sinwar has no more control of Gaza, only operates on PR hype by Hamas propagandists, offering hope that the terrorist group can survive the war. Hamas propaganda about defeating Israel is the only thing the terror group has left to continue brainwashing Gaza residents that it’s only a step away from conquering the Jewish State.
Opinions vary in the West Bank where some residents encourage Hamas to hold out and not give in to Israeli aggression. When it comes to Oct. 7, Hamas considers its massacre of Israel civilians and hostage taking as a legitimate act of resistance. Hamas thinks it can just hold out long enough world opinion will eventually force Israel to stop the war. Biden and Harris haven’t been clear about U.S. objectives in the current Israeli-Gaza war. Biden and Harris should have made 100% clear that Hamas must leave the Gaza Strip so the battered area must have new leadership to supervise any reconstruction. Hamas has shown its egregious corruption, stealing billions in donor cash intended to rebuild Gaza but winding up enriching Hamas leaders, many of whom live as millionaires and billionaires in exile. Oil-rich Gulf State donors no longer trust Hamas to manage any future rebuilding funds.
Appointing Sinwar to lead Hamas shows that the terror group is on its last legs, knowing that Sinwar is considered the mastermind of Oct. 7. Sinwar has no regard for ordinary Gaza residents looking to stop the war and start rebuilding their lives. What did Sinwar accomplish on Oct, 7, other than inviting Israel to destroy the Gaza Strip? Sinwar boasted after the attack how easy it was for Hamas to massacre Jews, proving, in his own sick mind, that Hamas could indeed destroy the Jewish state at anytime. But with Sinwar a marked man, clinging to power in Hamas military tunnels, what has Sinwar done for Gazans other than destroy the 2.3 million Palestinian territory? U.S., European Union and Arab leaders must call on Hamas to leave Gaza, not continue the charade that Hamas can continue to rule Gaza. Hamas corruption proves they can’t be trusted with any Gaza donor cash.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
