Emirati Political Analyst: We Must Remove The Extremist Hamas From Power In Gaza; Its October 7 Attack Violated Both Islamic And Human Values

Memri

21-04-2025

In his March 22, 2025 column in the Saudi news portal Elaph, titled "Hamas and the Strategy of Collective Suicide," Emirati political analyst Salem Al-Ketbi accused Hamas of espousing an extremist ideology and of provoking Israel into an all-out war in Gaza despite being aware that it is the Gazan civilians who would pay the price. As part of its extremist outlook, he said, Hamas uses civilians as human shields, places its military facilities in dense population centers and in hospitals and schools, commandeers the humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza and uses the suffering of the Gazans to gain political leverage – all while its leaders live abroad in fancy hotels and villas.
Al-Ketbi added that this extremist outlook underpinned Hamas' October 7 attack, in which Israeli civilians were deliberately targeted and taken hostage, in flagrant violation of universal norms and of the Islamic rules of warfare, which forbid targeting civilians and mutilating bodies and require hostages to be treated with humanity and respect. He also slammed Hamas for using religious terms like 'jihad' and 'martyrdom' to justify its violence and terror.
Al-Ketbi concluded by stressing that Hamas must be removed from power in Gaza and replaced with a political force committed to humane values, to democracy and to the welfare of the citizens.
Salem Al-Ketbi (Image: X.com/salemalketbieng)
The following are translated excerpts from his article: [1]
"The facts on the ground indicate that Hamas employs a strategy of using the civilians' suffering as a political bargaining chip while ignoring the humane principles it purports to represent.
"On March 18, 2025, Israel resumed its offensive in the Gaza Strip – after a fragile two-month ceasefire – as part of its ongoing efforts to get back its hostages and the bodies of [Israelis] who were killed in the October 7, 2023 attacks, in which 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 251 were taken hostage.
"What are the real motivations behind Hamas' strategy in the current conflict with Israel? An objective analysis of its actions reveals an extremist mentality that transcends the boundaries of armed resistance and is tantamount to using civilians as pawns in a strategic conflict. Hamas' extremist mentality was plain for all to see in its October 7, 2023 attacks, which were a flagrant violation of international norms and conventions. The strategy of 'collective suicide' stands out as one of the most dangerous behaviors Hamas has adopted, because the movement is fully aware of Israel's military advantage, yet despite this it deliberately provoked Israel and dragged it into an all-out military confrontation, knowing that the price would be paid by the Palestinian civilians.
"One of the most extreme manifestations of Hamas's behavior is the use of civilians as human shields. [Hamas] deliberately places military facilities and weapon depos in densely populated civilian areas and its rocket launchers in hospitals and schools. The issue of the Israeli hostages is another blatant example of Hamas' criminal mentality, for they use them as bargaining chips and refuse to comply with international initiatives for their release, except under impossible conditions.
"What, I wonder, is the true human price paid by the Gazans for Hamas' conduct? The answer reveals a multidimensional human tragedy in which the Gazans find themselves trapped between the hammer of the Israeli military offensive and the anvil of Hamas' exploitive policy. According to reports from the field, the resumption of hostilities in March 2025 caused the death of over 500 Palestinians in just a few days, casualties that joined the approximately 48,000 [Palestinians] who have been killed since the beginning of the war in October 2023.The hospitals and medical centers in Gaza are dealing with a disaster amid a severe shortage of drugs and medical equipment, while the people suffer an unprecedented food crisis.
"What makes this crisis worse is Hamas' conduct, which includes commandeering some of the humanitarian aid and channeling it to its own people, thus depriving the civilians of their right to receive this aid. Meanwhile, the movement leaders live abroad in fancy hotels and villas, far from the daily suffering faced by the simple folk [in Gaza].
"Does the conduct of Hamas – [a movement] which is known to be a product of the Muslim Brotherhood ideology and [touts] religious slogans – conform to the Islamic principles it purports to represent? An objective analysis of its conduct on the ground reveals a clear contradiction between its religious pretentions and its actions, which contravene the essence and the fundamental values of Islam. Islam is based on a system of values that gives top priority to protecting people and safeguarding their dignity. The Prophet Muhammad laid down clear rules of conduct during war, which forbid hurting civilians and non-combatants and mutilating bodies, and call for the humane and respectful treatment of hostages. Hamas violated these principles in its October 7, 2023 attacks, in which it deliberately and directly targeted Israeli civilians. Its actions, which included kidnapping civilians and holding them hostage, contravened the Islamic principles regarding the treatment of hostages. In addition, it uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, while Islam emphatically respects human life and forbids exposing people to danger.
"But the most un-Islamic and troubling issue is Hamas' use of religious discourse to justify its behavior. It uses religious terms like 'jihad' and 'martyrdom' to justify violent actions, while disregarding the strict laws set out by the Islamic shari'a for the term jihad…
"One of the saddening paradoxes is that Hamas, which purports to defend the Palestinian cause, actually hurts this cause with its terrorist actions, which blacken the international image [of this cause] and detract from the support it receives. For attacking civilians, taking hostages and using civilians as human shields are actions that contravene universal human values.
"This tragic state of affairs gives rise to the most pressing question: What lies in Gaza's future if Hamas remains in power there? The answer requires a fundamental change in the accepted approach to the Gaza issue. [It requires] giving top priority to the needs and rights of the civilians, removing Hamas from power in the Strip, and finding an alternative political [power] that is committed to humane values and to the principles of democracy and seeks to realize the interests of the people and improve their lives."
[1] Elaph.com, March 22, 2025.