Hamas Unleashes Hell, But What Do They Expect to Achieve?

In the early hours of Saturday, October 7th, 2023, the world bore witness to a chilling spectacle that reverberated across the globe. With audacious precision, hundreds of Hamas fighters breached the barriers separating Gaza and Israel, surging into Israeli towns. What followed was a nightmarish descent into violence unparalleled in Israel's history, sparing no one – men, women, and children. The grim tally now stands at a staggering 900 lives lost and counting.

Nestled amidst hostile neighbours on all sides, Israel boasts one of the world's most formidable defence apparatuses. With Mossad's top-tier intelligence gathering, the Iron Dome's cutting-edge anti-missile defence system, and a highly advanced Pegasus cyber-surveillance system, breaching Israeli security was no small feat. Yet, against the odds, Hamas infiltrated and inflicted maximum carnage in Israel.

A stone's throw from the Gaza Strip, the eagerly anticipated Supernova music festival in southern Israel devolved into sheer terror when fifty Palestinian militants stormed the event, turning it into a bloodbath. Panic-stricken partygoers sought refuge in the bushes as the militants coldly picked them off, moving from vehicle to vehicle and tree to tree. The massacre left a horrifying tally of at least 260 lives lost.

The audacity of Hamas's actions has sparked jubilation in the Muslim world, from Beirut to Tehran, Ankara to Damascus, and even within some European cities. And, not to be left behind, celebrations have been reported in Tanzania too. Notably, not a single Arab or Muslim state has yet condemned Hamas, perhaps a reflection of their intricate political realities.

In its unbridled brutality, this attack lays bare the grim realities of this conflict. On one side, there's Hamas, hell-bent on annihilating Israelis. Their assault is a savage reminder of their intent to wage a war of extermination, a facet of this conflict often overlooked by analysts.

In 'The End of Faith,' Sam Harris draws a moral contrast in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's restraint despite its military might, often issuing civilian warnings before attacks, stands in stark contrast to Hamas, whose intent is to drive Jews into the Sea. Harris posed a chilling hypothetical: What if roles were reversed, with Hamas in power? Hamas, as they have brazenly displayed, would have resorted to genocide. Appreciating this chasm is vital when dissecting the intricacies of this conflict.

For Israel, this is a battle for existence. As a nation very small in size, Israel stands vulnerable due to its proximity to perennially hostile neighbours – Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. Lacking natural geographical barriers and strategic depth, Israel's defence challenges are amplified. To ensure its security, Israel must maintain a robust defence strategy, including a formidable deterrent force. Consequently, in response to Hamas's audacious breach, Israel finds itself compelled to deliver a resolute message – a stern punishment for Hamas and an unequivocal statement to other misguided adversaries. Based on what we can gather from the speeches by Israeli leaders: the consequences of Hamas's assault will be catastrophic.

In reviewing the Palestinian situation, it is increasingly apparent that military means offer Palestinians little hope of attaining their objectives. The waning support from Arab states juxtaposed with Palestinian strategic ineptitude has starkly widened the divide over the past few decades. Israel essentially dictates the ground realities, while Palestinians have been consistently cornered. That has led some intellectuals, even those on the Palestinian side, to acknowledge the futility of violence given the prevailing power imbalance. Yet, Hamas maintains its suicidal strategic positioning, often dragging Palestinians in Gaza into great suffering as a result.

As we watch this conflict unfold from afar, it's crucial to draw lessons from our history in Africa. Many of us are fond of likening the situation in Palestine to what was happening in South Africa during the apartheid times. But we often miss the big lessons. Probably the most important lesson was the role that ANC and Nelson Mandela's pragmatic leadership played in ending the decades of atrocities in South Africa. Mandela's legacy as a symbol of great leadership is celebrated worldwide because he observed that the ANC needed to make very sober decisions to end apartheid in South Africa. But had Mandela pursued military conquest and the ANC adopted a policy of total annihilation of all Boers, South Africa might today resemble the tragic story that is Palestine.

Hamas's attack has indeed left Israel battered and bruised. Yet, this attack will achieve nothing except bring more misery to the Palestinian people. Therefore, as we cheer on Hamas’s brutality, we need to know that it is the Palestinian people who have to face the inevitable equally brutal retaliation. When you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.

The words of Winston Churchill (paraphrased) may help to capture the mood in Israel today: If the people of Israel were asked tonight whether Israel should agree to stop the bombing of Gaza, most would say, "No, we will mete out to the Palestinians the measure, and more than the measure, that they have meted out to us."

This is how the world works.

NB: This article was first published in The Citizen. What do you think of the article's content? Leave your comments below.