لحظة ادراك

 "He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon."

Fifteen months after the "War of Myths," Gaza and its people find themselves caught between the Israeli hammer and the anvil of the de facto rulers (Hamas and its allies). It is a state of limbo resembling the horrors of Judgment Day—burdens so heavy that mountains could not bear them. Stories of death and daily suffering unfold, showcasing methods of torment that surpass even the devil’s creativity. Everyone is striving to shape a narrative for ending the fighting based on imagined outcomes that exist only in the fantasies of those deluded by myths and disconnected from reality.

In the stark truth of their reality, two million Gazans, stripped of all that defines a humane life, find themselves in need of everything yet prepared to forgo anything—except for one thing: the cessation of the relentless buzz of death drones. They do not know how this will end, nor do they care to know. All they wish for is to return to their neighborhoods, though they know these no longer exist; to their homes, streets, schools, universities, hospitals, and sources of livelihood, even though they are well aware these have been obliterated. They curse and accuse everything and everyone tied to their reality—and even those unrelated to it. They would even curse themselves if necessary.

They know that a journey of a thousand miles lies ahead but still have no idea how to take the first step.

A Leadership Afraid of the “Day After”

The main parties to the conflict remain paralyzed by fear of the "day after" the war. Before their eyes lies this grim reality, alongside the plight of over 100 hostages whose conditions remain unknown, even to their captors. This truth remains the sole constant.

For the rulers of Gaza, who initiated this chapter of the conflict under the banner of grand slogans—liberation, Jerusalem, the pulpit of Salah al-Din, emptying the prisons, and encircling the Zionist entity weaker than a spider's web—it has devolved into fragmented resistance and widespread destruction across 360 square kilometers of territory. They now desperately cling to power atop rubble piles, hiding behind makeshift solutions like community support committees under a "lightened occupation" or an Arab-Islamic committee alongside limited Israeli presence outside densely populated areas.

Yet the one entity they cannot tolerate is the Palestinian Authority and its internationally recognized government. For Hamas, this represents the death knell of their illusions.

Israel’s Dilemmas

On the Israeli side, its government also finds itself running in place—chasing fragmented resistance, remnants of rockets, and scattered explosives while grappling with its own elusive narrative of victory. Options range from a full military occupation to a civilian administration relying on local clans or even relinquishing Gaza entirely to Arab and Muslim nations.

The one option seemingly off the table is restoring authority to the Palestinian Authority and its internationally recognized government.

An Implied Agreement of Rejection

It is ironic that the two sides, who disagree on virtually everything else, implicitly agree on rejecting the Palestinian government as a viable alternative to the status quo.

For Hamas, acknowledging the return of the Palestinian government would mean:

• Admitting that the ideological foundation of their 2007 coup was fundamentally flawed. Governance, based on myths and religious dogma, is ill-suited for political administration. It might work for opposition movements or charity organizations, but not for the actual mechanics of governance.
• Recognizing the incompatibility between resistance and ruling. Governance requires adherence to international and political commitments that the Palestinian Authority was built upon, which cannot be selectively accepted or rejected.
• Implicitly conceding defeat in the war and accepting responsibility for the October 7 events, the subsequent humanitarian catastrophe, and the extended suffering caused by hostage-taking, particularly of civilians, women, children, and the elderly.
• Acknowledging that reliance on alliances and external powers has led to destruction, with allies either retreating or seeking their own survival, leaving Hamas isolated.

Meanwhile, for the Israeli government, accepting the return of the Palestinian government would entail:

• Returning to the roots of the conflict and acknowledging international agreements, including the two-state solution, which Israel's current administration sees as a relic of the past.
• Admitting the failure of its policies post-2007, which sought to sustain Hamas as a counterbalance to Palestinian unity while avoiding political concessions.

The Reality on the Ground

The inescapable truth in this entire conflict is the resilience of the Palestinian people. Despite their suffering and displacement, they remain steadfast on their land. The majority of Gazans reject a return to Hamas rule while also opposing Israeli presence or any imposed solutions.

The scale of devastation in Gaza and the overwhelming needs of its people far exceed the capacity of any entity other than the Palestinian Authority to address. Hamas' fragmented rule and Israel’s attempts at makeshift governance are equally doomed to fail, as neither has the legitimacy or capacity to offer meaningful solutions.

Conclusion

The recent war in Gaza—fought under the guise of grand myths—must be understood as part of a larger Palestinian reckoning. It marks the retreat of one project and the potential rise of another. However, this war, fought in the name of the Palestinian cause, has been neither for nor about it. Those who waged it represent but a fragment of a collapsing project.

As Shakespeare once wrote: “He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.” Tragically, the de facto rulers of Gaza lacked even a spoon. They dined from the devil’s hand with his spoon and were poisoned. Now, they continue to poison their people in the process.