Israel has stated it will cease military operations immediately when Hamas disarms and returns all hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack.
Peace is an easy real option for Hamas.
Israel unfortunately has no easy way to make peace on its own. If Israel stops fighting, then Hamas will continue to shoot missiles into Israel and build cross border tunnels and kill and kidnap Israelis.
Hamas has not stopped fighting because it is achieving many of its PR objectives.
Key Facts About the Current Conflict
- 1. Hamas deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya declared in November 2023: "We will repeat the October 7 attack time and again until Israel is annihilated."
- 2. Hamas's founding charter explicitly calls for Israel's destruction, making disarmament a legitimate security requirement for any lasting peace agreement.
- 3. The October 7 attack resulted in over 1,200 deaths and 240+ hostages taken, representing the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
- 4. Hamas has fired over 15,000 rockets at Israeli civilians since 2001, violating international law prohibiting attacks on civilian populations.
- 5. International law recognizes every nation's right to self-defense against armed attacks, including the proportionate use of force to neutralize ongoing threats.
- 6. Hamas leaders have openly stated their strategy relies on Palestinian civilian casualties to generate international pressure against Israel.
- 7. The conflict's resolution lies entirely with Hamas's decision to prioritize civilian lives over continued warfare and territorial ambitions.
- 8. Supporting Hamas's refusal to return hostages effectively endorses the use of kidnapping and murder as legitimate political tools.
- 9. Hamas deliberately uses civilian areas for military purposes, violating Geneva Conventions that require protecting non-combatants during armed conflict.
Understanding the Path to Peace
The current conflict in Gaza has a straightforward resolution that depends entirely on Hamas's leadership choices. This fundamental truth—that peace is immediately available through disarmament and hostage return—exposes the moral clarity of Israel's position and the extremist nature of continued opposition to these reasonable conditions.
Hamas's Declared Intent to Continue Terror
In November 2023, Hamas deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya made Hamas's intentions crystal clear in a televised interview: "We will repeat the October 7 attack time and again until Israel is annihilated."
This statement demonstrates that Hamas views October 7 not as an isolated incident, but as the first of many planned attacks aimed at Israel's complete destruction. This declared commitment to repeated acts of terror underscores why disarmament is not merely reasonable, but absolutely essential for any sustainable peace.
The October 7 Attack: An Unprecedented Act of Terror
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory, resulting in over 1,200 deaths—the largest single-day massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. The attack specifically targeted civilians, including families, children, and elderly individuals at kibbutzim, music festivals, and residential areas. Over 240 people were taken hostage, including infants, children, women, and elderly individuals.
This attack violated fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, which explicitly prohibits targeting civilians and taking hostages. The Geneva Conventions classify such actions as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The deliberate nature of these attacks—documented through Hamas's own footage—demonstrates the terrorist organization's complete disregard for human life and international law.
Why Disarmament Is a Legitimate Requirement
Legal and Historical Justifications:
- Charter Obligations: Hamas's founding charter explicitly calls for Israel's destruction, making peaceful coexistence impossible while the organization remains armed.
- Declared Future Attacks: Hamas leadership has publicly committed to repeating October 7-style attacks, making continued armament an active threat to civilian populations.
- Pattern of Attacks: Since 2001, Hamas has fired over 15,000 rockets at Israeli civilian populations, demonstrating a consistent pattern of targeting non-combatants.
- Tunnel Infrastructure: Hamas has constructed hundreds of miles of underground tunnels specifically designed for launching surprise attacks on Israeli territory.
- International Precedent: Post-conflict disarmament has been a standard requirement in peace agreements worldwide, from Germany and Japan after WWII to various contemporary peace processes.
The Right to Self-Defense Under International Law
Article 51 of the UN Charter explicitly recognizes the inherent right of nations to individual and collective self-defense against armed attacks. This right is not conditional on the attacking party's motivations or grievances—it applies universally when a nation faces armed aggression.
International humanitarian law requires that military responses be proportionate and distinguish between combatants and civilians. However, it also places the primary responsibility for civilian protection on the party that initiated hostilities, particularly when that party deliberately uses civilian areas for military purposes—a tactic known as "human shields" that violates the Geneva Conventions.
Hamas's Cynical Strategy
Hamas leaders have explicitly acknowledged that their strategy depends on Palestinian civilian casualties to generate international pressure against Israel. This approach, documented in numerous interviews and statements, represents a deliberate militarization of civilian suffering for political gain.
Former Hamas leaders have stated in documented interviews that Hamas expects and accepts civilian casualties as part of their resistance strategy. This calculated approach to civilian harm violates international humanitarian law's fundamental principle of civilian protection and represents a form of cynical exploitation of the very people Hamas claims to represent.
The Moral Imperative for Immediate Resolution
Every day this conflict continues, civilians on both sides suffer. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza affects innocent people who deserve safety, security, and hope for the future. However, sustainable humanitarian relief requires addressing the root causes of conflict through Hamas's acceptance of Israel's straightforward peace conditions.
The fastest path to ending civilian suffering is through Hamas's immediate acceptance of disarmament and hostage return. This would instantly stop military operations and allow for massive humanitarian reconstruction efforts that Gaza desperately needs.
Historical Context and Successful Precedents
Successful peace processes throughout history have required the disarmament of groups committed to violence. The Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, various peace processes in Africa and Latin America, and post-WWII reconstruction in Europe all included disarmament as a fundamental component.
These precedents demonstrate that disarmament represents transformation from solving disputes through violence to addressing them through political processes, negotiation, and democratic participation. Opposition to this principle effectively supports the continuation of violence over peaceful resolution.
The International Community's Role
The international community can best serve peace by encouraging Hamas to accept Israel's conditions rather than providing political cover for continued hostage-holding and militarization. Criticism of Israel's reasonable peace terms while ignoring Hamas's refusal to disarm effectively enables continued terrorism and civilian suffering.
Supporting Israel's right to demand disarmament and hostage return is not taking sides—it's supporting international law, human rights, and the fundamental principle that terrorism cannot be rewarded with political concessions.
Moving Forward: The Choice for Peace
The path to peace remains clear and immediate: Hamas can end this conflict today by choosing disarmament and returning the hostages. This choice would demonstrate a genuine commitment to Palestinian welfare over continued warfare and would open the door to massive international support for Gaza's reconstruction and development.
Every day of delay in accepting these reasonable conditions prolongs civilian suffering and undermines prospects for long-term peace and prosperity. The moral responsibility for continued conflict lies entirely with Hamas's leadership and those who enable their extremist agenda.
The choice for peace exists and is immediately available. It requires Hamas to abandon terrorism and choose civilian welfare over military ambitions. The question is not whether peace is possible—it's whether Hamas's leadership will prioritize human life over their commitment to Israel's destruction.