By Nesya Rubinstein-Shemer, JNS
Hamas’s leadership lives in luxury villas abroad and makes decisions at the cost of their people’s blood with cold cynicism.
In the midst of one of the most painful and complex military operations that Israel has ever known, while the families of the hostages wait in anguish for the return of their loved ones being tortured in Hamas’s tunnels and as a humanitarian tragedy unfolds in the Gaza Strip, it is vital to look reality in the eye and ask honestly: Who is responsible for what is happening?
This conflict was not sought by Israel. On the contrary, just as regional initiatives of hope and reconciliation were beginning to take shape, including serious prospects for the rehabilitation of Gaza, Hamas chose to destroy everything. It launched one of the most horrifying atrocities of the modern era: the massacre of 1,200 people and kidnapping of 250 others on Oct. 7, 2023. It carried out mass murder, rape, the abduction of children and the elderly, and the burning alive of entire families. This was not a struggle for liberation; it was genocide, driven by religious hatred and fanatical ideology.
Since then, Israel has worked to bring the hostages home, but Hamas categorically refuses any deal. It appears that the suffering in Gaza is not viewed by Hamas as a tragedy, but as a tool. For them, this is not a conventional war but a Divine commandment, jihad, for the liberation of all of Palestine, “From the river to the sea.” Not peace. Not life. But total sacrifice, their own and that of others. In this worldview, civilians are not human beings but disposable pawns on a bloody chessboard.
Behind actions in Gaza stands Hamas’s leadership abroad. These officials live in luxury villas in Qatar and Turkey. They suffer no shortages, no airstrikes, no danger. They make decisions at the cost of their people’s blood, with no compassion, only cold cynicism. Their crocodile tears on television are a calculated propaganda tool, not an expression of truth or morality.
Arab media outlets, especially Al Jazeera, are also complicit in this manipulation. They bombard viewers with tragic and emotional images, designed to overwhelm reason. But alongside our human empathy for suffering, we must speak the truth: Israel is not to blame for this disaster. Those who truly care about Gaza’s welfare must pressure Hamas to lay down its arms.
Israel is making enormous efforts to send humanitarian aid to those in need. But Hamas hijacks food items, sells them at obscene prices to its destitute people and uses the profits to fund its war machine. When international aid organizations try to ensure fair distribution, Hamas threatens, beats and even murders them.
Right after Oct. 7, senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad offered no apology. On the contrary, he proudly declared: “We will do it again and again and again.” These are not words of regret; they are a declaration of intent. Hamas’s continued control of the coastal enclave is not just a tragedy for Gazans; it is a direct and existential threat to Israeli citizens. That is why this war must continue until Hamas no longer rules Gaza.
Another Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said on Oct. 24, 2023, that Hamas sees the war as “a source of pride and honor” and stressed that “the resistance has all the right to repeat the Oct. 7 attack again and again.” This is the face of Hamas: No remorse, no empathy, only the glorification of mass murder.
The world must wake up. If you truly care about the people of Gaza, do not point your finger at Israel. Point it at Hamas. Until they are disarmed and dismantled, there will be no relief, no mercy and no hope.
