The January 22, 2024 editorial of the Palestinian Authority (PA) daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida directs harsh criticism at Hamas, contrasting its rule in Gaza in the last 17 years with the rule of the PA, which governed Gaza for about a decade after the 1993 Oslo Accords.
The editorial claims that the PA gave the Strip a decade of construction, development and prosperity, whereas Hamas, which seized control of the Strip in a "blood-soaked" and "violent" coup against the PA, has built nothing there in 17 years except for tunnels and has brought Gaza nothing but wars and disasters. The editorial calls on the Palestinians to unite under the PLO and honor the PLO's international commitments, and states that there is no choice but to carry out a rigorous critical assessment of Hamas' rule in Gaza, which harbors delusions of establishing a "Muslim Brotherhood emirate"– for avoiding this will only lead to more catastrophes and destruction.
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The following are translated excerpts from the article: [1]
"The decade in which the Palestinian National Authority (PA) ruled the Gaza Strip was a decade of construction, which saw the building of an airport, seaport, hospitals, schools, residential towers, parks and modern roads – so much so that the Strip was on the way to becoming a new Singapore in the Middle East and knew a decade of security, peace and great aspirations. [This was the case] until disaster struck: Hamas staged a coup against the PA and against the law, with blood-soaked violence, and from the moment it subjected the Gaza Strip to its rule, which has [now] lasted 17 years, the Strip has tasted [only] disasters, on every level!!
" Hamas' rule in Gaza gave the Israeli occupation [an opportunity] to do exactly what it wanted to do: first of all, to weaken the PA by providing Hamas with regular financial aid, and second, to destroy everything that has been achieved in the Strip, especially elements of [Palestinian] sovereignty, namely the airport and seaport. The Israeli occupation started seven wars against Gaza, on various pretexts, in order to achieve this goal. In addition, it was so unrestrained in waging [these wars] that, in its seventh war, which is still ongoing, it has turned the buildings in the Strip into frightening piles of rubble and did even worse damage to people's hearts [by causing] over 20,000 people to be martyred, over 50,000 to be wounded or arrested and over one million to become displaced, living in the south of the butchered [Gaza] Strip without homes, food or security.
"Seventeen years of Hamas rule have turned the Gaza Strip into an arena for every kind of failure and difficult problem, so much so that its people are now living in the worst-ever state of distress. The Strip knew no construction, except for the excavation of tunnels, most of which were intended for smuggling and enriched those who owned and secured them!!
"Events caused Israel to ignite its seventh war [against Gaza], which is still ongoing, and there is no way to contend with this war in order to stop it, excerpt by cooperating and uniting under the flag of the PLO, obeying its policy and [honoring] its Arab, regional and international commitments. A necessary condition in this context is to subject the experience of Hamas' rule to critical scrutiny… This examination must be scrupulous and must not be undertaken by Hamas alone – that would be inconceivable – but by all the national factions, so that the situation does not return to what it was, namely to the loathsome schism and the delusional statements regarding the Muslim Brotherhood emirate!! That is the [only] way out right now, and any attempt to avoid it will only lead to more victims and destruction!!"
[1] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), January 22, 2023.
