New York Times Publishes Gaza Native's Call to Expel Hamas

The New York Post has highlighted an unusual opinion piece published by The New York Times, a publication often critical of Israel. The article, a nearly 1900-word column by Gaza native Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, argues for the expulsion of Hamas from the Gaza Strip. Alkhatib, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, directly contradicts the narrative promoted by some Western pro-Palestinian activists who portray Hamas as a "resistance" movement.

Instead, Alkhatib identifies the terrorist organization as a primary cause of the catastrophe befalling Gaza's residents. He recounts his childhood experiences with Hamas, including witnessing their propaganda and recruitment efforts in mosques as early as 2001. He contrasts the Gaza of his youth, with its airport, new passports, and developing infrastructure, with the current state of affairs after Hamas seized power, which he argues destroyed prospects for a Palestinian state.

Alkhatib accuses Hamas of terrorizing its own population, torturing and murdering political opponents, persecuting women, and establishing a pervasive secret police. He states that Hamas has transformed Gaza into a territory reliant on smuggling, Iranian aid, extortion, and the misappropriation of humanitarian funds. The author criticizes Western pro-Palestinian activists for romanticizing an organization that has suppressed Gazans for decades and for ignoring Palestinian protests against Hamas, which the group violently suppressed.

Alkhatib asserts that true support for Palestinians must begin with condemning Hamas, not justifying it. He believes Gaza's future is contingent on Hamas's complete removal from power, the disarmament of the organization, and the de-radicalization of local institutions. "Gaza has no future as long as Hamas holds two million Palestinians hostage to its nihilistic agenda," Alkhatib writes.

The New York Post finds the publication of such a critical piece in the Times noteworthy, suggesting readers are finally hearing from a Gazan who attributes significant responsibility for the Strip's destruction to Hamas, rather than solely to Israel.