HAMAS THE UGLY FACE OF ARAB STRUGGLE

Since the attack of Hamas on Israel on 7th October 2023, a section of social media is abuzz portraying Hamas as freedom fighters’ organization involved in anti-colonial resistance and fighting the battle on behalf of Arab fraternity. Is this lie devastating the Palestinians? In fact, many Muslim countries and communities considered them to be a burden to their humdrum peaceful life until the alleged bombing by Israel on Al Ahli Arab hospital on 17th October.

Following a 12-day unmatched air raids on the 141 Sq miles of Gaza Strip, which have killed over 3 thousand people, Netanyahu is now planning to amassing troops and military hardware along the borders of Gaza under Hamas-control for a final ground attack.

So, what is Hamas. Hamas stands for the Islamic Resistance Movement and its full form is Harkat – Ul – Muqawama al - Islamiya. The group politically controls the Gaza Strip which is home to more than two million people.

Radical Hamas was born in 1987, much after the occupation of Gaza by Israel in 1967 following the Arab – Israel war and it seized the power in the Gaza Strip in 2007 after a brief war against Fatah forces of President Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

In my opinion, Jews have experienced terror and horror under Hamas worse than the Holocaust. According to its 1988 covenant, Hamas preaches that every Jew must be eliminated from this world. Its target is not the genocide of Jews in Israel; its goal is the genocide of all Jewish people on this planet Earth. The group has claimed responsibility for many attacks on Israel over the years and has been designated as a terrorist organization by countries including the United States, UK, Australia, the European Union and Israel.

Well, it may be worth pondering over the living conditions in Gaza since Hamas’ take over in 2007. Human rights activists describe living conditions in the enclave as dire and call it an “open-air prison”. Gazans hardly have access to education, economic opportunities and healthcare. It is said that for at least the last decade and a half, the socioeconomic situation in Gaza has been in steady disdain and downturn. The experts believe that state of mental health in Gaza is reaching a level of catastrophe and alarm that goes unrevealed.

The conditions have become exponentially worse since Israel declared a “complete siege” on the enclave in retaliation for Hamas’ attacks in first week of October, withholding all essential supplies of food, fuel, water, medicines, and electricity.

If this be the ground situation, why is Hamas driving the 2 million population to such miseries and who remain its allies and supporters? The stablished fact is that Hamas is part of a regional alliance that includes Iran, Syria and the group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which opposes US policies towards the Middle East and Israel. It is a different story that on the name of Muslim unity, OIC under Iran is urging for oil embargo and other sanctions on Israel.

To understand Hamas’s financial resources, it is foremost to know about the two wings operating under this terror group. Dawah, the social service wing and the military arm called Al-Qassam Brigades. While the social service wing collects funds from all who profess Muslim brotherhood on the name of provisioning education, healthcare, and social services to Palestinians in Gaza, the military wing trains and aims their attack against Israel.

Iran’s name tops the chart when the question arises on how is Hamas financed. Tehran accounts for roughly 70 per cent of the funding though, under Erdogan, Turkey is also openly supporting funding of Hamas. Lately, Qatar provided funds on the pretext of human aid to the tune of billions of dollars in the Gaza strip which is believed to have been diverted by Hamas for purchase of military equipment and preparations for war against Israel.

Are the Palestinians suffering for the acts of terrorism by Hamas? The answer is yes as Hamas is using them as shield to attack Jewish land from villages in Gaza. Though, the world in unison appears to be opposing mayhem in Gaza but actually, it was a self-inflicted injury caused by Hamas. Israel has all through followed the policy of peaceful coexistence with a caveat that we will not spare enemies casting evil eyes on either Jews or the Jewish land. If Palestinians wish to live in peace, they need to derecognize Hamas as their representatives.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Col Anupam Jaitly (R) The writer is defence expert, motivational speaker and corporate trainer