Part 5/8:
The Role and Future of Hamas
A central concern raised was the disarmament of Hamas. Conrius explained that international calls for Hamas to disarm are unrealistic if Israel withdraws from Gaza without defeating or dismantling the group first. He warned that Hamas, if left intact after a ceasefire, would not relinquish control but instead solidify their hold on Gaza.
This scenario echoes history—after Israel withdrew unilaterally from Gaza in 2005, Hamas seized power through elections, transforming the territory into a Hamas-controlled enclave (“Kamastan”). Twenty years later, Hamas’s control remains unchallenged, and the 2007 Hamas takeover led to years of conflict, poverty, and risk of further violence.