Khalil Sayegh calls for a police force in Gaza to break Hamas’s hold
According to the US-based Gaza-born scholar, Hamas is seeking to "restore complete monopoly" over the territory and in weapons. To this end, it is “killing and torturing other Palestinians” on the pretext that they collaborated with Israel. A mission is needed "to enforce law and order” to “protect Palestinians”. Among the people he talks to in Gaza, “there's a sense of fear that we are going back to October 6th”.
Milan (AsiaNews) – Khalil Sayegh, a political analyst and expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, spoke to AsiaNews about the situation in the territory, where a fragile ceasefire is in place.
Born and raised in Gaza and now based in the United States, he is the co-founder and president of the Agora Initiative for Dialogue and Encounter. Reached by phone in the US, he does not hide his fears and concerns about recent developments .
"It is very clear that Hamas is trying to restore complete monopoly over weapons in Gaza,” he said. In agreeing to the US-brokered truce deal with Israel, the group said that they intend to "hand over weapons to another body”, but “in reality, Hamas is retaking the Gaza Strip, killing and torturing other Palestinians under the pretext of collaboration with Israel.”
"What matters for Hamas," he explained, "is not to allow any family or any other organised body whatsoever;” they reject “any rival power”. Instead, the group “wants total submission in Gaza. And, we have seen this.” Case in point, the “clashes with the Doghmush clan in the Sabra neighbourhood, which is in Gaza City, has been about who can have weapons.”
This clan “refused to work with Israel during the Israeli military operation. Israel requested from this specific clan to work with Israel. And they refused. Yet, despite this, Hamas is still attacking them, and killing them, and leaving their bodies in the street.”
At present, contrasting news are coming from the Palestinian territory after more than two years since Israel launched its offensive against Hamas in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, which caused widespread devastation and the deaths of more than 67,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
One of the key aspects of US President Donald Trump's peace plan signed on Monday at the Sharm el-Sheik summit, the stabilisation force, is still being worked out; in the meantime, the extremist movement is taking advantage of the situation to regain control and settle scores with rival families and clans, resorting to street executions and summary killings.
There is also no shortage of tensions or critical points with Israel, which is pushing for the return of all the bodies of hostages who died in captivity or on the day of their kidnapping, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening "hell" if Hamas fails to comply.
In response, Hamas claims that it is precisely the “indiscriminate” destruction caused by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) that is hindering the recovery and return of the bodies.
"Hamas controls the streets," said Khalil Sayegh, "and has no intention of giving in to any external force. They have said very clearly that they are unwilling to disarm, and they have said very clearly that they are unwilling to have any external or foreign power taking control of the Gaza Strip.”
“If one judged by what Hamas’s history is and what they have tried to create on the ground, [. . .] Hamas is the status quo power. Therefore, we can move on with the ceasefire, and then they’ll say, listen, we are here to stay and you can do nothing about it, except go back to war.”
When asked about the international control and stabilisation mission, the expert replied that it will be "extremely difficult" to set it up it, because until now "any conversation about an external force has been focused on the idea of having a force to protect Israel."
"We have not seen anyone discussing how we will get an international police force inside Gaza to protect Palestinians from Hamas. That hasn’t been a conversation that people have had at all.” And “It is naive to believe somehow that Hamas will just hand over the government and disarm itself. That has been a total joke.”
“The Palestinian people have a future as long as the circumstances that have led to the situation, that led to this catastrophe, genocide in Gaza, are no longer in place.” This “includes ending the Israeli occupation, ending the siege in Gaza, etc.
“The other thing needed is to get rid of Hamas in Gaza. Let’s remember the whole thing, this stage of the conflict was started on October 7 with Hamas. We have had many previous wars between Israel and Hamas’s presence in Gaza will at some point trigger another war.
“We have to get rid of Hamas to have a better future for the Palestinians. That is the only answer from the Palestinian point of view, away from the Israelis’ demands, and away from the Americans’ demands for disarmament. It is the Palestinian interest to get rid of Hamas in Gaza.” But “everything can collapse in one second. A war is a possibility.”
Khalil Sayegh is a Palestinian Christian. Born and raised in Gaza, he is now based in the United States. His commitment to peace and justice in Israel and Palestine has driven him to work for understanding between the two sides.
Inspired by his Christian faith, he is actively involved in interreligious dialogue, promoting harmony between communities.
His knowledge of the conflict, of dialogue, and religious freedom has led him to participate in conferences and meetings around the world, including the Oslo Freedom Forum.
Previously, he was a Senior Research Fellow and Advocacy Fellow at the Philos Project, contributing to scholarly studies of the conflict.
Founder of the Agora Initiative, he also serves on the board of directors of US Friends of Roots, an NGO dedicated to initiatives promoting coexistence.
He earned a master's degree in comparative politics from the American University in Washington and a bachelor's degree in biblical studies from Bethlehem Bible College.
Speaking about the priorities for Gaza’s future, he insists on the need to create “a police force to enforce law and order; this has to be the priority.” However, “The problem here is Netanyahu and Israel. For the last two years, they have prevented the Palestinian Authority from getting back to Gaza.”
“If you don’t allow an alternative police force, an alternative authority in Gaza, you will have Hamas emerging, and Netanyahu did not have a problem with that.” In fact, “it (Hamas) contributes to his long-term strategy of divide and rule” at the expense of the Palestinian people.
This perspective also explains the failure to include the West Bank in Trump's peace agreement, because “otherwise, you wouldn’t get the Israelis to come to terms” with it.
For the future, he notes that the Palestinians “need to renew their leadership," but, “more importantly, they need measures of law and order, the end of the occupation" and “limit the strength and influence of militias like Hamas in Gaza.”
One of the charismatic figures who could take the lead is long-term prisoner Marwan Barghouthi, the Palestinian Nelson Mandela and a symbol of the resistance, “but he is not going to be released", Sayegh said.
"I talk to people every day in Gaza," he said. “People are hopeful because of the stop of the bombing”. They can “sleep with comfort. All of this is hopeful. On the other hand, there's a sense of fear that we are going back to October 6th, the situation where Hamas controls everything and where war can break [out] at any moment.”
"There is also fear for people who are critical of Hamas because you are seeing people executed in the streets without due process, [. . .] all of which is bringing about fear.”
Regarding the humanitarian situation, Sayegh laments that the territory “is devastated; the schools, the hospitals are destroyed, etc. But we are starting to see a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is important. For the first time, the food is unrestrained.”
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27/04/2017 12:44
