We must demand that Hamas surrenders!

In “As famine looms in Gaza, aid delivery remains difficult and dangerous” (1/17/24), the Washington Post front page article describes “aid agencies urging Israel to ease the difficult and often dangerous process of delivering supplies to desperate Palestinians.” In other words, the Post claims Israel is the cause of this calamity. Additionally, the Post says “Israel has embarked on a public campaign to defend its humanitarian record, blaming the United Nations and Hamas for the crisis.” Judging from the front page positioned “blame” against Israel and the numerous protests worldwide, it would seem that it’s the Palestinian supporters that have embarked on a public campaign to attack Israel.” But the Washington Post only sees it one way.

If they didn’t, they would ask the obvious question: why isn’t the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and in particular the self-assigned intermediaries in this conflict – Qatar, Egypt, and France — demanding that Hamas give up and stop fighting. Hamas has clearly lost this war, and continuing it is only harming their own people. Why would Hamas do this other than a total lack of concern for their civilians? Is it worth it to win sympathy points that they believe will delegitimize Israel and get them closer to their goal of destroying Israel? In seeking this goal, they have already convinced South Africa to harass Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). If Hamas can’t win militarily, they will try politically.

The Post article continues, “nothing can enter [Gaza] without an inspection by Israeli officials. Aid groups describe this as a convoluted and time-consuming process.” But the Post knows why Israel insists on inspections. It should be obvious to any observer that Hamas, even with blockades from Egypt and Israel, have been smuggling thousands of automatic weapons, RPG’s, anti-tank missiles, and other sophisticated weaponry into Gaza. Does the Post think that all of a sudden, that Hamas would turn over a new leaf and stop their smuggling ways? Yet the reporters try to downplay this threat by calling it “alleged.”

Not only does Hamas have a history of smuggling weapons, but they also have been stealing food and other aid from their civilians. The Post skips over this. According to Newsweek, “an elderly woman in Gaza criticized militant group Hamas for taking Humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict with Israel, telling an Al Jazeera reporter that “all aid is going down [underground].” According to a translation by an Israeli correspondent, which Newsweek has independently verified, she tells the reporter: “The aid does not reach the nation and the entire people.”

Hamas’s theft has been caught on camera. According to a statement accompanying a video from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), “ In footage captured by the IDF Border Defense in Shejaiya, Hamas members are seen forcibly taking humanitarian aid from civilians, loading it onto a Hamas vehicle, beating civilians, and then driving to a Hamas-run site.”

The Times of Israel also reported that there were “videos circulating on social media…showing gunmen, reportedly Hamas operatives, stealing trucks delivering aid to the Gaza Strip from Egypt.”

There is also audio evidence that Hamas steals food meant for civilians. In the Jerusalem Post, the IDF released recorded calls from Gazan civilians. One “civilian is recorded telling the IDF how Hamas terrorists steal food from civilians. Another said, “They [Hamas] steal from the warehouses of UNRWA [UN relief agency].”

Interestingly, according to the National Review, “The United Nations relief agency overseeing aid to Palestinian refugees…(UNRWA), deleted a social media post…accusing Hamas of stealing humanitarian supplies.” The article continued, “hours after publishing the note, UNRWA quietly deleted the message. Sources familiar with the situation confirmed to Haaretz, a left-leaning Israeli publication, that the story is accurate.”

But abundant evidence isn’t enough for the Post. They continue to push the pro-Palestinian, Israel-hating narrative. And they continue to quote the UN. How could the Post ever give any credence to anything coming out of the UN? The same UN that oversees the educational system in Gaza where all maps of Israel show a fictional “Palestine,” indoctrinating the young minds of Palestinians with hate and lies? The same UN that has approved more security council resolutions against tiny Israel than Syria, Sudan, Congo, N. Korea, China, and Russia combined? The same UN that designated an annual date to blame all Palestinian problems on Israel?

The thrust of the article scapegoats Israel while relegating its side of the story to a few token defensive remarks. By contrast, Palestinian agony is fully displayed. But absent from the article is the simple solution that could end all the suffering in a moment: Hamas must stop fighting and release the hostages. The silence on this point is deafening!

Instead, there is pressure on Israel to “ceasefire.” That would only lead to more suffering on both sides as Hamas has vowed to repeat Oct 7 as many times as necessary to destroy Israel. Does that make sense to anyone? We must all demand that Hamas relents!