This article originally appeared on JNS.org on October 18, 2025.
It is now unmistakably clear that Hamas intends to cling to power in Gaza—at any cost. Its latest maneuvers are not signs of a group preparing to disarm or surrender but of a terrorist organization determined to preserve its rule through chaos, deceit and bloodshed.
Hamas is once again playing a cynical and dangerous game. On the one hand, it manipulates the fate of the murdered hostages, using their bodies as bargaining chips to extract political leverage. On the other hand, it stokes internal violence in Gaza, executing and torturing members of rival clans in a ruthless effort to reassert control.
The images of Gazans being beaten and shot in the streets recall the same barbarity Hamas displayed in 2006 when it hurled Fatah men off rooftops.
Reports suggest that Hamas now wants to involve its old allies—Turkey and Qatar—in what it claims is a “search” for the remains of hostages. These supposed humanitarian gestures are nothing more than tactics meant to buy time, embarrass Israel and undermine the emerging U.S.-led coalition spearheaded by President Donald Trump.
Iran, as always, is the puppeteer behind the curtain, using Hamas to destabilize any prospect of peace.
After being forced on Oct. 9 to accept a peace framework, Hamas briefly feigned cooperation by returning 20 hostages alive. Now, it is withholding the bodies of 18 murdered Israelis, testing Israel’s patience and exploiting its moral anguish.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to ensure that every hostage—living or dead—is returned, yet Hamas continues to stall, counting on international hesitation and division.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s expected arrival in the region marks a critical juncture. The Middle East stands at a crossroads: either Hamas relinquishes control and allows the reconstruction of Gaza to begin under international oversight or the entire peace process collapses.
The path forward is clear. Israel has already fulfilled its part of the deal, releasing 2,000 prisoners, including 250 of the worst life-term terrorists. Now it is Hamas’s turn. No serious government or donor nation will invest in Gaza’s recovery while Hamas remains in charge. Who would rebuild under the shadow of jihadist tyranny?
The only way to restore life and hope to Gaza is to liberate it from Hamas. As history has shown—from the Gulf War coalition that expelled Saddam Hussein’s forces in 1991 to the international campaign that destroyed ISIS—evil regimes can be defeated when the free world stands united.
That moment has come again. The coalition now forming, including Muslim nations aligned under the expanding Abraham Accords, has both the legitimacy and the responsibility to ensure that Hamas’s reign of terror finally ends.
The free world now stands united, joined by moderate Muslim states. This is the secret: a coalition that can smash Hamas with its combined strength.
It must happen quickly. Time is running out, and if Hamas succeeds in prolonging its deadly game, the fragile framework for peace could disintegrate overnight.
Gaza can only be rebuilt once it is free. And freedom, in this case, begins with the fall of Hamas.
