The path to peace runs through the elimination of Hamas

Two years after the October 7 attacks that left over 1,200 dead, senior Hamas official Faouzi Barhoum called the assault a "historic response" to Israeli occupation. 

In a video aired on Qatar's Al Jazeera, Barhoum claimed the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation was a strategic milestone, signaling the beginning of what he called the “countdown” to Israel’s disappearance.

But let’s be clear: the October 7 attack was not a liberation effort. It was a brutal massacre. And Hamas has not changed.

Its core objective remains unchanged—the elimination of Israel. It has never been about peace, co-existence, or progress for Palestinians. It has always been about destruction.

Since that attack, Gaza has suffered unimaginable devastation. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead, neighborhoods flattened, and civilian life has collapsed under the weight of an Israeli military response. But the blame for this disaster lies squarely with Hamas.

Every missile launched from schoolyards, every tunnel dug under hospitals, every civilian used as a shield—these are choices Hamas made. The organization thrives on martyrdom and chaos, not governance or peace.

While UN officials continue to express concern over civilian casualties and humanitarian conditions—and rightly so—they must also face a cold truth: Hamas is not interested in solutions. It regrets nothing. It will not back down. And it will not negotiate in good faith.

That’s why the peace plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which calls for the full demilitarization of Hamas and its total exclusion from any future role in governing Gaza, remains a critical step forward. There is no path to peace while Hamas exists as an armed force.

Dismantling Hamas isn’t optional. It’s essential. For Palestinians, for Israelis, and for the future of any lasting peace in the region.