Israeli Maariv: There is no Alternative to Hamas in Gaza

Any alternative to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is not realistic, as it has sovereignty and rule over the Gaza Strip, Israeli daily newspaper Maariv wrote about  Israel’s options for the so-call “day after” in the enclave.

The newspaper stated Gaza is not the West Bank, explaining years after the Israeli invasion of the West Bank in 2002, the Israeli army is still waging ongoing battles with the Palestinians there.

The big difference is according to Maariv the military cells in the Palestinian Authority areas are not the party that controls security and civil affairs there; nor is it the “lions’ den,” nor even any other organization responsible for the daily life of the population.

It added unlike the cities and villages in the West Bank, the synergy between the military and civilian sides of Hamas in Gaza not only did it not disappear, but was not even dented, neither during the air aggression attack phase nor even after in the ground operation Israel waged on the Strip.

The daily referred to the issue of distributing aid in Gaza, which the Israeli government has repeatedly discussed but with no results. Israel does not want Hamas to be responsible for such aid but at the same time, it has no alternatives Maariv stated.

Maariv  explained Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not have any answer or plan for a civilian alternative for the residents of the Gaza Strip, he never had! “Netanyahu only knows he does not want the Palestinian Authority to be in Gaza, because that mean embarking on the path that  would directly lead to a political process based on the two-state solution.”

The daily pointed out “no force, body or state will agree to set foot in Gaza, neither physically nor with a commitment on paper, as long as Hamas remains in the field, alive, sovereign and actively distributing food to the tents of the displaced.”

There is no alternative for Hamas,  the newspaper stated, adding Israel stands in confusion regarding the day after plan and “there is no better way to describe the current situation than to say it’s a ‘dead end’. Hamas controls Gaza, because there is no alternative.”

Maariv  quoted an anonymous senior Israeli officer as saying in one of the closed hearings of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the Knesset that eElections will be held in Israel before Netanyahu present to the public an alternative plan to controlling Gaza.

The Hebrew daily called on him to admit  the truth, say it out loud that there is no realistic alternative, and Hamas will remain in Gaza.

It added even if Netanyahu loudly announces he is withdrawing his opposition to the Palestinian Authority as part of an alternative solution to Gaza, this would not change the reality.

The newspaper concluded Hamas leaders are pinning their hope on a prisoner exchange deal that will allow them to expel the Israeli army from the enclave, so that the movement will have sovereignty and rule, as it was before the war began.

CrossFireArabia

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Free Hussam Abu Safieh: 600 Days in Israeli Jail

By Ismail Al Sharif

This is the last time you’ll see me. They brought me here to kill me’ – Dr. Hussam Abu Safieh.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safieh, a pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been detained by the Israeli occupation forces for nearly 600 days without trial or charges.

His only crime was trying to save the children of Gaza, condemning the crimes he witnessed, and documenting the suffering of the injured children who arrived at the hospital. He shared their images and testimonies with the world; these sparked a wave of outrage and solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza.

The occupation has not only bombed hospitals and cut off their electricity, causing premature babies to die in their incubators, and not only prevented medicine from reaching the wounded and denied them treatment, but it has also targeted doctors, paramedics, aid workers, journalists, and anyone who reached out to save the victims.

It doesn’t want witnesses to its crimes. But wants a fully-fledged crime committed in secret, then justified with a ready-made accusation: Belonging to Hamas, or being present in a place allegedly used by members belonging to the organization.

Dr. Abu Safieh was abducted while on duty and subsequently subjected to torture and ill-treatment. His lawyer, Nasser Odeh, documented severe injuries, difficulty breathing, and repeated episodes of unconsciousness during a visit to him on 2 July this month. He was brought to the meeting handcuffed and shackled, surrounded by masked soldiers who concealed their faces, as their actions constitute a crime.

More than 200 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza, many as a result of direct targeting, while more than 300 doctors and healthcare workers remain detained without trial or charge; as if saving children has become a crime.

Similarly, the Israeli occupation forces abducted Palestinian surgeon Khaled al-Sir from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis while he was working and detained him for six months before releasing him from Ofer Prison. His family remained unaware of his fate throughout this period.

The thirty-two-year-old doctor described his arrest as a “nightmare,” after he was subjected to torture, humiliation, and denied medical care. He considered himself lucky to have emerged unscathed, while some of his colleagues lost limbs due to being denied medical treatment.

No war has ever claimed so many victims among those who dedicated their lives to saving others. Despite appeals from international, human rights, and grassroots organizations, Dr.  Abu Safieh and his colleagues have not been released.

Appeals are no longer enough; what is needed is genuine political pressure, and the issue of detained doctors must be at the forefront of the priorities of Arab leaders and politicians. Remaining silent about the detention of those who gave their lives to save people is not merely a sign of weakness, but a dereliction of the most basic human and moral obligations.

This is a translated piece written by Ismail Al Sharif and published in the Arabic Addustour newspaper in Amman and appears in crossfirearabia.com

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‘Dad, What’s a Ballistic Missile?’

By Firas Al Nassan

Suddenly, I realized that the war with Iran had changed the words we use every day, adding a new vocabulary to our lives, along with the sarcastic lexicon that accompanied footage of people staying up all night watching missiles, hearing air raid sirens, and brazenly dragging missile debris behind them.

My son surprised me with this question just a few days ago. He wasn’t looking for information for a homework assignment, nor was he watching a documentary; he was watching the news with me. I paused for a moment before answering him. Not because explaining the term was difficult, but because I realized that the war hadn’t just changed the political and military landscape, but also the words and semantics now echo in our homes.

Months ago, most of us couldn’t distinguish between a ballistic missile and a cruise missile, and words like “hypersonic,” “drones,” or “air interception” weren’t part of our daily conversations. Today, however, they’re on everyone’s lips. From children to the elderly, from taxi drivers to office workers who start their day by browsing the news.

Even the word “intercept” has changed its meaning. It no longer refers to interrupting someone while they’re speaking, but rather to the success of an air defense system in shooting down a missile before it reaches its target. “Barrage” is no longer associated with rain, but with the number of missiles launched simultaneously. As for “de-escalation,” it has become the most frequently used expression, and perhaps the least achievable.

Remarkably, the war has not only changed military vocabulary, but has also redefined the very concept of place. The Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Red Sea are names that, for many, were merely locations on a map. Now, they have become headline news, determining oil prices, shipping traffic, flight paths, and even market sentiment.

Years ago, anyone who spoke about ballistic missiles or air defenses was considered a military expert or a security analyst. Today, these terms have become part of the general culture, used by people with ease, as if they were words they’ve known for ages.

After I finished explaining the meaning of “ballistic” to my son, it occurred to me that every war has consequences that cannot be measured solely by the number of missiles or the extent of the destruction. There is another, less noisy, impact that lingers with us for a long time: Words.

Wars not only impose new realities on the ground, but they also add new vocabulary to our language. Some of these words disappear with the end of the fighting, while others remain for years, bearing witness to an entire era.

I hope that one day my son will ask me about the meaning of a new word, one unrelated to missiles or air defenses, but rather to travel, exploration, or peace.

The author originally wrote this piece in Arabic and published in Ad Dustour daily in Amman, Jordan  

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Free Hussam Abu Safieh: 600 Days in Israeli Jail

  • By marwan
  • July 20, 2026
  • 12 views
Free Hussam Abu Safieh: 600 Days in Israeli Jail