Staff Reports
The New York Times published a striking opinion piece this week by Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Gazan-born senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. In plain language, Alkhatib says what some in the West refuse to hear: Gaza cannot rebuild while Hamas runs it, and Hamas should have no role in Gaza’s future. That admission from a paper that usually spends more time criticizing Israel than Hamas is worth noting — and a little late.
What Alkhatib actually said
Alkhatib writes from personal pain. He grew up in Gaza, lived under Hamas rule, and lost family members in the fighting that followed the October attacks. He argues clearly that Gaza “cannot recover while Hamas maintains control” and urges that the group be disarmed and removed from governance. He uses his own life to make a simple point: rebuilding Gaza means removing the gang that made its institutions and infrastructure weaker for years.
Immediate reactions and the predictable blowback
Hamas publicly condemned the essay, which Alkhatib posted on social media. Conservative and pro‑Israel outlets quickly seized on the piece as proof that some Palestinians want Hamas gone. On the left, many pushed back, saying Alkhatib downplays Israeli responsibility or unfairly slams activists who use words like “resistance.” The debate even dragged in influencers and local politicians named in the piece, from Hasan Piker to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed.
Why this op‑ed matters for policy and media coverage
This is not just another hot take. A native Gazan with policy experience telling the world that Hamas must be expelled changes the conversation. If policymakers and aid planners genuinely want a functioning Gaza, they must reckon with who holds the guns and the power. And if newsrooms want honest coverage, they should stop reflexively treating Hamas and Israeli actions as mirror images and pay attention to voices from inside Gaza.
Bottom line
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib’s essay is a clear, painful plea: Gaza deserves a future, but not under Hamas. The New York Times publishing it is a small step toward realism. The larger test is whether Western activists, media and governments will stop romanticizing “resistance” and instead support a real plan to disarm extremists and rebuild Gaza’s institutions. Call it common sense or call it long overdue honesty — either way, the sooner we act on it, the fewer Gazans will keep paying the price.
