Hamas recruits the world to retain its power

Meir Ben Shabbat: Hamas is no longer in a position where it feels its very existence is under threat; it remains the primary power in the Gaza Strip, deeply embedded in the population and in Gaza’s civilian systems. It skillfully exploits humanitarian aid and supplies entering the Strip for its own purposes.

Past vows by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to disarm Hamas must be translated into a timetable and a clear, binding definition of what “disarmament” entails. We must show determination and complete the mission in Gaza until all the [war] objectives we defined are fully achieved.

Published in JNS, January  26, 2026.