3 days ago
Articles In Palestinian Authority Press Following Israel-Iran Ceasefire: When Will Hamas Realize That Eliminating Israel Is A Ludicrous Idea And Move To End The War In Gaza?
Following the ceasefire between Israel and Iran announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on June 24, 2025, papers affiliated with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank published articles that called on Hamas to draw lessons from the Iran-Israel war. The articles urged Hamas to understand that Iran – which it regarded as an ally and as the leader of the "resistance axis" – proved to be a "paper tiger" in the confrontation with Israel, a country that cares only for its own interests and cannot be relied upon to assist the Palestinians. According to the articles, the fact that the war ended with a ceasefire under the patronage of the U.S. – without realizing Iran's vision of eliminating Israel, without the participation of the other members of the resistance axis, such as Hizbullah, the Houthis and the Iraqi militias, and without any Iranian demand for a ceasefire in Gaza – shows that Hamas can no longer count on Iran to help it in the Gaza war. One of the articles concluded that "the Iranian axis has ended and its slogans have evaporated under the Israeli and American blows."
The following are translated excerpts from these articles:
PA Daily: Hamas Must Acknowledge That Iran Cared Only For Itself And That The Resistance Axis Is Done For
The June 25, 2025 editorial of the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida urged Hamas to learn from the outcomes of the Iran-Israel war by realizing that the discourse about the "unity of the fronts" and the "resistance axis" is hollow and that it can no longer rely on Iran's assistance in the Gaza war.
The editorial said: "…It took Tehran only 12 days to realize that missiles do not win wars and that the U.S. does not and will not allow Israel to be defeated. Those 12 days clarified the character and boundaries of the conflict… Tehran, the capital of the resistance axis, concluded an agreement for a full and comprehensive ceasefire… We do not believe that Tehran will continue to be [the leader of] an axis… Clearly, it also forgot all the discourse about the 'assistance fronts' and the 'unity of the fronts' when it concluded the ceasefire agreement with Israel. It made no mention of Israel's war on Gaza, neither explicitly nor implicitly – [even though it was] Israel who started that war on the pretext of [retaliating for the Al-Aqsa] Flood [operation] that Hamas launched based on an Iranian decision.
"Here's the truth: there is no 'resistance axis' and no 'assistance front,' because states [are guided by] pragmatic policies, interests, [diplomatic] relations and the power balance, not by populist discourse, revolutionary boasting, hollow declarations and Muslim Brotherhood-style shows [of strength]. Hamas must acknowledge this reality and deal with it without denying the truth…"[1]
Former PA Minister: The Iranian Axis Has Proved To Be A Paper Tiger; Israel Can Be Defeated In The Diplomatic Arena, Not In The Military One
In his June 25 column in the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam, Ashraf Al-Ajrami, a former PA minister for prisoners' affairs, urged Hamas to draw lessons from the Iran-Israel war and understand that eliminating Israel with the help of Iran and the resistance axis is a ludicrous plan. He wrote:
"…Iran is the big loser in this war, for the scope of the destruction and losses in Israel cannot be compared to [what happened] in Iran… This country and its allies in the region were delusional and chanted big slogans [about] destroying, eliminating or burning Israel, when they were not just incapable of realizing them but incapable of exacting a heavy price from Israel.
"The 'resistance axis' has proved to be a paper tiger… We fell under the influence of the failed Iranian axis, which used our [Palestinian] organizations – such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad – as tools in a plan that had nothing to do with our interests… The Palestinian arena split into two camps: the national one, which maintained ties with the major Arab countries, and the other [camp], affiliated with Iran, which is at odds with the Arab regimes. We paid an unbearable price for realizing the Iranian enterprise and chasing failed, empty slogans in the name of the 'resistance' and its ideology…
"Now the Iranian axis has ended and its slogans have evaporated under the Israeli and American blows… The war in Gaza continues and we have been left on our own… What is needed [now] is a rational approach, in order to deal with this reality and change it through an in-depth study of the power balance. [We must] understand how it can be wisely amended without falling for mistaken and destructive considerations, as we did in the past decades, most recently in the October 7 attack.[2]
"The idea of defeating Israel militarily or destroying it is a kind of fantasy that bears no connection to reality. However, Israel can be defeated on the diplomatic level… Non-violent popular resistance is internationally accepted and supported, whereas violent struggle is not accepted and causes damage far greater than any conceivable benefit. Will the Palestinian movements draw a lesson from what happened in the region and rethink their considerations?"[3]
Former PA Minister: Iran Has Abandoned Gaza, Yet Hamas Refuses To Learn
Former PA culture minister Atef Abu Sayf made similar remarks in a June 29 article in Al-Ayyam. He argued that, in its war with Israel, Iran proved that it only thinks of itself and cares nothing for the interests of Hamas or the Gazans. He lamented the fact that Hamas, unlike Iran, does not know how to defend its national interests or when to end wars that bring it no benefit.
He wrote: "Has Hamas learned anything from Iran's recent war with Israel? I'm sure not a single reader will say 'yes, it has.' On the contrary. It seems that Hamas, which has not commented on the ceasefire between its enemy [Israel] and its ally [Iran], is very far from learning any true lessons about the meaning of war and fighting or about the deep meaning of the term 'national interests'…
"Fighting for the sake of fighting even at the cost of losing 100 of our people every day… means clinging to slogans at the expense of interests and destroying the homeland for the sake of the party or the movement. Sadly, that is exactly what Hamas is doing: It cares about nothing, not even if Gaza ceases to exist…
"Nobody knows what Hamas's goal is, because all of the outcomes on the ground since October 8, [2023] show that the only objective of the Palestinian side [in the Gaza war] was [to do] what they did the day before, namely on October 7. But what next? Clearly, nobody knows…
"Everyone expected Iran to refuse to stop [the war with Israel] before achieving a comprehensive ceasefire that included Gaza… But Iran, which possibly considers this a foolish idea, did not even deign to present it in talks. The people of Gaza remember all this with bitterness. Everyone forgot Gaza and it found itself alone, [just] another hostage in the hands of Hamas, which will not release it unless it receives guarantees that it will continue to rule there…"[4]
