The Hamas war’s biggest taboo: Transfer from Gaza

The invasion of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army to eradicate Hamas, demolish its military infrastructure, and liberate 240 hostages from captivity was triggered by the massacre of 1,200 Israelis by Hamas on October 7th last year.

According to the Hamas-run health administration, nearly 28,000 Palestinians have died in the months since, and Israel’s military operations have displaced hundreds of thousands more. The portrayal of the Hamas assailants as victims in a manipulative twisting of the truth is increasing. In its 1988 Covenant, Hamas made its goals clear: “To raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine.” The war of Hamas against Israel will continue without end if not destroyed.

One solution to the intractable violence of Hamas has been the transfer of Gazans from Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for upwards of 1.8 million Gazans to “voluntarily” leave the Gaza Strip, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly in talks to resettle Gazans in locations as far-flung as Congo.

The idea of Arab population transfer is nothing new and has historical roots. Despite hundreds of thousands who’ve already left, the international community is intent on denying Gazans the choice of emigration – even if it might extricate them from a life of despair and hardship.

Perhaps the greatest irony lies in the population transfer that has already taken place in Gaza – of 8,000 Israeli Jews forcefully expelled by their own government during its departure from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

*Dr. Mordechai Nisan, a retired lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and author of numerous books on Middle East history.