After living through the Oct. 7 massacre while reporting from southern Israel and covering the war that unfolded in Gaza over the past two years, my takeaway is clear.
Hamas must release the hostages, lay down their arms and end the suffering of the Palestinian people.
In his 20-point peace plan, President Donald Trump has offered the residents of Gaza a future. A path forward. A chance at life. This flame of hope will be quickly extinguished without clear-minded and selfless decision-making by the remnants of Hamas leadership still alive in the aftermath of the conflict.
Regardless of your position on the war, objective observers would agree that this is a fork in the road for the Gaza Strip. Accepting the deal ultimately leads to Gaza being rebuilt, a new moderate government being ushered in and the start of a process that could lead to future discussions about Palestinian statehood. Rejecting the agreement will lead to Israel taking the entirety of the enclave, killing thousands more people and possibly making Gaza’s residents leave for other countries.
Hamas should consider what was being discussed just over six months ago, when both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were approving a plan to forcefully displace Palestinian civilians from Gaza. The current agreement lets them stay, rebuild and maintain their culture.
It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s far better than the alternative. Israel has promised to continue with their ground operation against Hamas. The outcome for Hamas will be the same either way. They’ll either be out of power diplomatically or militarily. The latter traps the Palestinian people in the line of fire and could see them pushed from their land for good.
