The dark parallels
Hamas and the ISIS shadow across the Middle East
In the shadow of the past’s cruel memories, I found myself gazing upon the horrific acts of Hamas unleashing terror upon innocent Jewish civilians in the cities near Gaza. As they dragged defenseless Israeli women toward their vehicles, their malevolent chants of “Allah Akbar” filled the air with fear. During that precise moment, I was overcome with an uncanny sense of déjà vu, as if I were being haunted by a ghost from my hometown Hasaka, in northeast Syria.
Less than a decade ago, in the dark days of ISIS’s emergence, the Syriac Christian community, a Syrian minority that I belong to, witnessed the systematic abduction and slaughter of countless civilians. The haunting echoes of those memories resonated as I watched the news of Hamas attacks against Israeli cities near Gaza, and heard the stories from my Israeli friends about their loved ones who were killed or kidnapped by Hamas.
From what I’ve seen and heard, both in Syria in 2013 and Israel in 2023, I can definitely say that Hamas, the other side of the ISIS coin, has torn open yet another deep wound in the annals of Islamist jihadist atrocities.
Hamas’s merciless assault left no stone unturned. They hunted every Jewish soul they encountered, from young women and men attending a musical concert, to little infants sleeping in their cradles. In the vile creed that binds these terrorist organizations, slaying a “kaffer” – a non-believer in Islam – becomes both a military triumph and a religious duty. Even if they lose territory and the means for conventional warfare, their attacks on bars and public schools, for example, in Israel, or in the West, signal their continued malevolence – a grim declaration of their enduring threat.
Although the recent attack by Hamas was unprecedented in magnitude, it was not fundamentally new. Each stabbing
attack against Jews for years mirrored the most recent assault they endured.
As a journalist, who has ventured into the heart of the Syrian Democratic Council and the Syrian Democratic Forces, navigating the liberation of Raqqa and Deir Ez Zor from the ISIS Caliphate, I can, without a doubt, say that the operational strategies of Hamas are not different from those of ISIS.
The only distinction, however, is the regional response; the Islamic Caliphate led by Hamas in Gaza did not receive the same condemnation as ISIS once did. The free nations of the world must unite, much as they did against ISIS, to combat the Islamic Caliphate of Hamas.
Regrettably, Arab countries have been reluctant to condemn Hamas with the same vigor they did with ISIS, despite several of them now enjoying peaceful relations with Israel. The ongoing conflict is magnified by Arab networks showcasing the suffering of Gazans while glossing over the crimes against Israeli civilians, and often failing to emphasize that it
was Hamas who ignited the conflict.
IN A symbolic nod, the international coalition against ISIS saw Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khaled bin Salman, the current Saudi defense minister and a high-ranking Saudi prince, piloting the first airstrikes against ISIS during the US-led bombing campaign. Yet, today, we witness no such unified effort to eradicate the threat posed by Hamas.
Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, find their hesitance justifiable. Their reservations are, in part, due to what they perceive as a lack of resolve in the US response to Iran’s 2019 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s ARAMCO, which threatened their national security. In response, Saudi Arabia began a strategic shift away from exclusive alliances, diversifying its partnerships.
As they ventured toward a normalization agreement with Israel, they also signed de-escalation agreements with Iran. In the wake of Hamas’s attacks, Saudi Crown Prince MBS paused the normalization process with Israel, and engaged in a conversation with Iran’s President Raisi, signaling the Saudi’s desire to maintain a neutral position in the current conflict.
For the United States, preserving and expanding the Abraham Accords is paramount. However, genuine solidarity among Arab nations and Israel is the litmus test. The US must regain trust in its role as a source of security and support for its allies in the region, ensuring that these agreements are not just symbolic gestures but powerful conduits of lasting peace.
The assaults on Israel now stand as a stern challenge to the Abraham Accords, the credibility of the US in the region, and the future of these alliances. If Israel is left to fend for itself, the Arab nations, seeking steadfast allies in turbulent times, will seek new partnerships to safeguard their security.
A regional alliance backed by the United States that can collaborate to combat Hamas may also result in favorable local outcomes. With the formation of an international coalition to combat ISIS, the very fabric of life in territories once held captive by the terror organization was transformed. Women now rise to positions of power, and the quality of life has improved substantially. Gaza, too, deserves a similar transformation.
Over the years, countless innocent lives have been claimed by Hamas’ unprovoked attacks on Israel. Just like ISIS, Hamas uses Gazans as human shields, preventing them from escaping the battlefield and thus maintaining their grip on power.
Failure to severely punish Hamas for its recent atrocities would only embolden other terrorist groups in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah and the Houthi movement. These groups thrive on any sign of weakness. The international community must stand alongside Israel and moderate Palestinians in their battle to eradicate Hamas from the Gaza Strip.