Hamas’ rule in Gaza has been disastrous for both Arabs and Israelis

OPINION:

President Trump has floated the idea of relocating Gazans to other Muslim countries so that reconstruction can get underway and recently noted that he is “not confident” in the durability of the current ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas while underscoring Gaza’s potential. “Some beautiful things could be done with it …,” he said, cautioning against allowing Hamas to prevail. “They didn’t exactly run it well. It was run viciously and badly.”

The president’s insights are compelling. Hamas continues to violate the ceasefire terms by refusing to release hostage Arbel Yahud, provide updates on all hostages and account for the Bibas family, which includes two captured little boys, Kfir, 2, and Ariel, 5, along with their mother, Shiri.

The Gaza Strip desperately needs a complete break from the tunnel-infested terrorism haven it became under Hamas. At the same time, Israel cannot tolerate any repeat of the murderous chaos that terrorists wreaked on Oct. 7, 2023. Nor can it countenance a continuation of the shelling and attacks on Israelis that Islamist terrorist organizations have conducted from the strip since 2006.

A rebuilding initiative led by nations that signed the Abraham Accords could bring a new dawn. International receivership in Gaza is warranted. This area has repeatedly become a flash point threatening global stability from Yemen to London to New York. It attacks its neighbors while constantly requiring international aid and completely fails to develop effective self-governance or a viable economy. It is time to stage a comprehensive external intervention to transform Gaza’s future from hell to hope.

The United States must act swiftly to ensure that the heart-wrenching images of Israeli hostages finally reuniting with their families after nearly 500 days in incarceration — and the sight of dazed Gazans wandering the remnants of their towns — do not become yet another chapter in the bloody cycle perpetuated by the Islamist rulers of Gaza: Hamas and its junior partner, Islamic Jihad.

Hamas’ rule in Gaza has been disastrous for both Arabs and Israelis. Hamas will continue to be an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a worldwide Islamist group intent on rebuilding a caliphate, an Islamic empire. These terrorists and their paymasters will not abandon jihad, a “holy war” to destroy the Jewish state, kill the Jews, and then turn against Europe and the United States.

Almost immediately after the ceasefire was announced, masked and uniform-clad terrorists emerged from Gaza’s tunnels, weapons in hand, reclaiming control of the strip. They have already killed six locals and shot a score more. They are poised to exploit the remaining hostages and the Gaza civilians as their human shields. They will return to seizing aid and selling it to the people at exorbitant prices while glorifying the bloodshed, torture, rape, violence and abductions of Oct. 7. 2023. They have already promised to repeat it.

The Biden administration’s daydream of a “reformed Palestinian Authority” is a mirage. Hamas threw the PA out of Gaza in 2007. The PA has consistently struggled to govern in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), relying on the continuous financial support of the United States and international organizations.

Mahmoud Abbas, 89, who succeeded the PA’s terrorist founder, Yasser Arafat and was a founding member of Arafat’s Fatah faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization, has held his position since 2008. It has been 17 years since his election. The PA continues to glorify “martyrs” who have killed Israelis, financially support their families, and funnel resources to the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade. This underground terrorist group regularly murders Israelis. With Mr. Abbas’ influence waning, it is unlikely that he can maintain his position much longer or that the PA can survive Hamas’ popularity.

The president is correct: Gaza possesses remarkable potential. It could be transformed into a thriving resort destination and a transportation and industrial hub instead of a total failure that instills hatred in its children, offering them little more than a future as the “martyrs” of local Islamist factions.

As we noted in spring 2024, countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are vested in transforming the Middle East into a zone of peace and prosperity. They have experience countering the impacts of radical Islamist indoctrination in schools and mosques. Their support will be crucial in reversing the damage inflicted by years of UNRWA schools, which have encouraged generations of young Gazans to embrace terrorism.

UNRWA, which has provided aid to terrorists, should be shut down, and refugee services should be transferred to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia effectively manage large ports and airports, and Gaza has both. These could be utilized to export oil and gas and attract foreign investors and tourists from around the world. The nations that signed the Abraham Accords, along with future members, including Egypt, should ensure security and prevent any resurgence of terrorism in the strip. They should also provide investment and job opportunities for the Gazan population.

Gazans who wish to start a new life abroad, away from the overcrowded strip, should be allowed, supported and encouraged to do so in other Muslim countries. Those who remain need completely new leadership. Free of terror and extremism, Gaza may at last become a place of safety, stability, hope and peace.

• Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and managing director of the Energy, Growth and Security Program at the International Tax and Investment Center. Rena Cohen is the founder of the Books for Israel Project, a volunteer effort that provides English-language books for low-income Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze schools in Israel.