We must reject any attempt to rationalise Hamas' atrocities

Soldiers wave as they hold an Israeli flag on top of a tank near the border with Lebanon, October 14, 2023. [AP Photo]

A little more than two weeks have passed since October 7, the Black Sabbath in the southern Israeli villages sharing borders with Gaza.

The extent of the massacre that Hamas and its collaborators committed against thousands of Israeli citizens, including women, elderly, and children, is fully revealed. More than 1,400 innocent civilians were murdered, more than 3,500 injured, 222 taken hostage, and more than 500,000 Israeli civilians displaced.

Decapitated infants, raped women, mutilated corpses, entire families burned alive in their homes. In one of the many cases, 20 innocent children were bound together and mercilessly burned alive. Two weeks later, there are families still grappling with the uncertainty of whether their loved ones were killed or forcibly taken to Gaza.

Heartbreakingly, some mothers have had to bury their children more than once as the forensic identification process struggled to recognise the severely abused bodies. There still remains 250 unidentified bodies and countless families in distress, desperate for answers about the fate of their cherished ones.

The actions of Hamas terrorists in Israel are a deplorable display of unprovoked, intentional, and indiscriminate terrorism targeting innocent civilians.

This heinous act reflects a particular form of terrorism rooted in extremist Islamist ideology. It is important to reject any attempts to be swayed by indoctrination that seeks to rationalise the atrocities committed by Hamas against civilians. There can be no argument or logic that justifies or explains such a massacre.

Likewise, the 2015 massacre at Garissa University defies justification. We must remain steadfast in upholding the fundamental values of humanity that are instilled within us all. No struggle or cause on this Earth can ever validate such senseless slaughter.

Terrorism targeting civilians is a crime against humanity. Killing and taking hostages, referred to as “prisoners” by senior members of Hamas, is a war crime. The numerous civilian massacres and kidnappings of Israeli civilians represent an undeniable act of evil.

Let’s examine the facts about Hamas. It is an internationally recognised terrorist organisation that emerged in late 1987 and is linked to the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. According to their founding covenant, Hamas aims to establish an Islamic state instead of Israel and rejects any agreements made between the rival Palestine Liberation Organisation (nowadays known as the PA) and Israel.

Article seven of Hamas’s covenant explicitly states their goal of fighting and killing Jews: “The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees.”

Article 13 of the same covenant rejects any kind of negotiation, agreed solution or compromise: “Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement,” and calls them an “abuse directed against part of religion.”

Hamas, an extremist Islamic organisation, not only seeks to eradicate Jews from Israel but also targets the rival PLO. In 2007, Hamas violently took control of Gaza, resulting in the deaths of numerous Palestinians affiliated with the PLO. As a result, Hamas now governs over 2.4 million Gazans. Since then, Hamas has actively sought to undermine PA’s authority in the West Bank. Due to the ongoing threat posed by Hamas, PA leader Abu Mazen and the top Palestinian leadership have refrained from returning to Gaza. Instead, they rely on the protection provided by Israeli security forces to safeguard them against repeated attempts by Hamas to overthrow the PLO’s rule.

Gaza Strip

The Israeli army has NOT been present in the Gaza Strip for the past 18 years, leaving Hamas as the sole governing authority in the region.

However, instead of utilising the significant funds received for the welfare of civilians, infrastructure development and bolstering the healthcare system, Hamas has diverted these resources towards building a network of terror infrastructure, munitions industry, and underground tunnels. Disturbingly, Hamas has exploited Gaza’s population by hiding explosives and combat headquarters beneath hospitals, ancient churches, and mosques, effectively using them as human shields.

Prior to the recent conflict, the crossings between Gaza and Israel were open, leading to employment opportunities for over 20,000 Gazans in Israel. In addition, hundreds of trucks transported essential supplies to Gaza daily, and Israel ensured a steady supply of water, petrol and electricity as needed.

Israel’s strict control over the entry of goods into Gaza is driven by the need to safeguard its own security in the face of ongoing attempts to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region.

One must ponder whether any other state would willingly allow a hostile entity to reside on its borders, especially one with the explicit intent of undermining and eradicating it, while permitting the unhindered smuggling of weapons into its territory. As an example, it is worth considering whether Kenya would tolerate such activities in relation to elements affiliated with Al Shabaab.

Hamas, ISIS, Al Shabab, and Boko Haram are all factions of Islamic fundamentalism, employing terror as a means to further their political agendas. These ruthless terrorist organisations deliberately sow fear and inflict violence upon innocent civilian populations worldwide. It is crucial to unveil the truth that lies concealed behind their propagandistic efforts.

These groups cunningly manipulate the slogans of national struggle that the free world has cultivated throughout centuries of civilisation. Do not be deceived by their actions - these groups are actively seeking to undermine the moral values and the very essence of humanity upon which our civilisation is built.

They cynically exploit the slogans of the national struggle that the free world has developed over the years of civilisation. Don’t let them lie to you - they want to wreak havoc on the values of morality and life that we all share! Adopting their narrative is siding with their atrocities!

Within the lives of every individual, here are pivotal moments that demand a choice between good and evil, necessitating a steadfast alignment with what is morally upright. Remaining neutral or abstaining from taking a stance in such instances unintentionally allies us with the offenders. I urge you to make a deliberate choice, one that reflects your unwavering commitment to discern right from wrong and align yourself with what is morally upright!

-Ms Margovsky-Lotem is an Israeli diplomat, a citizen of the democratic world order, mother and the spouse of the Israeli Ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Seychelles