Hamas Must Own Up to its Own Demise

By Joseph Rittenhouse

Hamas must be held accountable  — not only for the atrocities it committed two years ago on October 7, but for the destruction of their country and its people as well. True, their leadership has been decimated, but whatever remnants remain must be neutralized and held accountable.

Over-and-over again, it boggles the mind how stupid and cowardly that attack was. For six hours, unopposed, they killed, raped, tortured and kidnapped innocent people — and then managed to vanish, leaving behind a trail of unspeakable brutality. What the hell could they have been thinking? They didn’t realize that by that murderous act they opened the door to their annihilation and the demolition of Gaza.

It is gone. Gaza has been leveled and now faces the bulldozers. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead. And for what? One cowardly, inhuman act. Did Hamas honestly believe they could defeat Israel (one of the most lethal and powerful militaries in the world) armed with AK-47s, a few pitiful rockets, and a hang glider? It defies imagination. What drove them to commit such atrocities? Didn’t they understand they would be crushed when Israel retaliated?

They brought the destruction of their homeland upon their own people. Now, decimated and desperate, the population suffers the greatest price. Families are broken, hospitals strained beyond capacity, infrastructure destroyed, and a civilian population left to cope with unimaginable loss.

That does not absolve anyone of responsibility for the vast humanitarian catastrophe. Civilians — whether Israeli or Palestinian — must not be forgotten. Humanitarian corridors must be secured. International law and basic human rights demand it. Accountability should fall first and foremost on those who planned and executed the atrocities, while the international community must ensure aid, protection, and a clear plan to rebuild lives and infrastructure.

Depending on where one stands politically — whether calling for a free Palestine or condemning the existence of Israel — the October 7 attack was a strategic miscalculation of the deepest order. Hamas could not win. Neither could Iran or any other state actor in the region overturn the balance of force by such a reckless operation. The only real victims are the people who have lost everything.

If Palestine — whatever survives of it — hopes for a future in which ordinary people can live safely and prosper, the first step is to eject the forces that bring them ruin. That will be messy and painful, but it must be followed by serious international engagement to stabilize the region, restore basic services, and create conditions for accountable, representative governance.

The last card Hamas holds — the remaining hostages — has been turned. Beyond that, the world must not abandon Gaza’s civilians to vengeance or neglect. Justice for the victims, credible accountability for perpetrators, and a large-scale humanitarian and reconstruction effort are not mutually exclusive. They are both necessary.

We can debate the political endgame all we want, but we cannot pretend that the October 7 atrocity did anything but guarantee catastrophe for Gaza’s people. The urgent question now is how to stop the bleeding —  protect civilians, to deliver aid, and to begin the long work of rebuilding on a foundation of law and dignity.

If we want peace to have any chance, the violence must end, perpetrators must answer for their crimes, and a pathway must be laid for rebuilding lives — not just rubble. Only then can we hope for a future in which political grievances are settled by politics and law, not by mass murder and revenge.