Deluge, page 25
78. Roee Rubinstein, “The Families’ March Ended in a Mass Demonstration in Front of Netanyahu’s Office: ‘If We Have To— We’ll Walk to Gaza’,” ynet.co.il (18 November 2023) [Hebrew].
79. Netanyahu: “[W]e will implement and exhaust every possibility to bring them home.” Benny Gantz: “[W]e’ll do anything to return the hostages.” Merav Sever and Avi Cohen, “Netanyahu in the Meeting: ‘We Will Implement and Exhaust Every Possibility to Bring Them Home,’ the Families of the Kidnapped: ‘You Must Bring Them Back, That’s on You’,” Israel Hayom (28 October 2023) [Hebrew]. “Gantz:We Will Do Everything to Bring Back the Hostages. We Will Fight Whoever We Have to and Speak With Whoever We Can,” mako.co.il (7 November 2023) [Hebrew].
80. Tamar Hermann and Or Anabi, “‘Swords of Iron’ Flash Survey: Most of the Jewish Public Believes the Most Important War Aim Is Releasing the Hostages, Followed by the Destruction of Hamas,” idi.org.il (24 November 2023).
81. Itamar Eichner and Reuters, “Report: Negotiations for the Release of Children and Women from Hamas Captivity— in Exchange for the Release of Female Prisoners from Prison in Israel,” ynet.co.il (9 October 2023) [Hebrew].
82. The IDF reportedly estimated that 1,000 to 3,000 Hamas fighters were killed in Gaza prior to the temporary ceasefire, far from a fatal blow to the organization’s military capabilities. Various claims were made by the Israeli government and its supporters in order to create the impression that the military assault led to significant concessions by Hamas and to a deal more favorable to Israel. These assertions were not backed by any evidence and were inconsistent with multiple press reports regarding the terms of the proposed exchange. Nadav Frankovitch, “The Public Is Being Told That Military Pressure Led to the Release of the Hostages. Is That So?” mekomit.co.il (22 November 2023) [Hebrew]. Dan Sabbagh, “IDF Messaging Suggests Gaza Truce Unlikely to Last Much Beyond Tuesday,” Guardian (26 November 2023).
83. Avi Dabush, “Starting This Week, I’m Also a Massacre Survivor. This Is What Has to Be Done Now,” Ha’aretz (17 October 2023) [Hebrew].
84. Ofer Cassif, posts on X (formerly Twitter), 10 October 2023 and 17 November 2023. Zeeshan Aleem, “A Leftist Israeli Lawmaker Makes His Case for an Immediate Ceasefire,” msnbc.com (22 October 2023).
85. Ofer Cassif, posts on X (formerly Twitter), 17 October 2023 and 20 October 2023.
86. An early and consistent critic of Netanyahu’s supposedly pro-Hamas policy was former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who played an instrumental role in diplomatically isolating Hamas, thus ensuring that its diplomatic overtures for a peace settlement would fail. Ksenia Svetlova, a former Member of the Knesset representing Livni’s political party, HaTnua, praised the Netanyahu government’s decision to “heed the call by Palestinian Authority President Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] to decrease the electricity supply to Gaza,” noting that it may “bring about a very great hardship” for the Gazan population and was a “positive step as part of a policy aimed at removing Hamas from power.” Ksenia Svetlova, post on Facebook, 12 June 2023. Alona Ferber, “Tzipi Livni: ‘A Ceasefire Isn’t a Solution’,” New Statesman (2 November 2023).
87. Egyptian and Syrian atrocities included the execution (including large-scale massacres) of Israeli soldiers who were captured or surren-dered, as well the torture of soldiers who were taken hostage, while Israeli atrocities included the carpet bombing of cities, burning down of villages, and execution of civilians. Protocol 334 of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Commission (31 October 1973) [Hebrew]. Oslo News Agencies, “At the Outset of the War There Were 500-600 Soldiers at the Bar-Lev Line,” Yediot Aharonot (27 November 1973) [Hebrew]. US House of Representatives, “Problems of Protecting Civilians Under International Law in the Middle East Conflict,” Hearing, 93rd Congress, 2nd session (4 April 1974).
88. Tommy Lapid (father of Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid) wrote: “Our retaliation must be so harsh, so overwhelming, so devoid of mercy, and so cruel— that it will inflict a national trauma upon the collective consciousness of the Arabs. The Arabs require, perhaps even want, for their souls to be shocked into accepting the existence of the State of Israel.” Yosef ‘Tommy’ Lapid, “Break Them,” Ma’ariv (9 October 1973) [Hebrew].
89. AFP, “Sadat’s Wife: I Have the Feeling We Are Standing on the Threshold of Peace,” Yediot Aharonot (20 November 1973) [Hebrew]. Eliezer Be’eri, “Instead of Stagnation— the Beginning of a Development Towards Peace?” Al HaMishmar (17 October 1973) [Hebrew]. “Golda: In Favor of Peace and a Territorial Compromise,” Yedioth Aharonot (30 December 1973) [Hebrew].
90. Daoud Kuttab, “Opinion: After a Cease-Fire in Gaza, There Is Only One Answer for What Happens Next,” Los Angeles Times (9 November 2023).
91. The Flagship Bulletin, Kol Hai Radio (22 November 2023), 00:15:00 [Hebrew].
92. Adam Ragson and David D. Kirkpatrick, “What Was Hamas Thinking?” New Yorker (13 October 2023).
93. Associated Press, “Hamas Official in an Interview to the AP: Hezbollah Is Currently Acting Against the Occupation, but We Expect More From It,” Ha’aretz (26 October 2023) [Hebrew]. Uriel Levy, “Hamas Officials Are Not Seeking a Deescalation and Call for the War to Be Widened,” davar1.co.il (9 November 2023) [Hebrew].
94. As indicated by Hamas’s head of international relations Bassem Naim: “[W]e didn’t choose this road while having other options. We have no options.” Rubin and Warrick, “Deeper.”
Chapter Seven. Khaled Hroub
1. Speech broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic [Arabic].
2. Mohammed Deif, “We Launched 5,000 Rockets on the Enemy’s Settlements and Cities,” Al Jazeera Arabic (7 October 2023) [Arabic]. It is noteworthy that Deif’s speech made repeated reference to the United Nations and international law. This cuts against reductive distinctions made by some commentators on Hamas between diplomatic “moderates” outside Gaza and military “hardliners” within. Based on close observation over many years, this author can confidently state that both moderates and hardliners in Hamas are distributed across the board. Cf. Nour Abu Aisha, “‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ Proceeding According to Plan: Palestinian Group,” aa.com.tr (7 October 2023).
3. Already five years ago, this author joined many observers in warning of “a large-scale explosion in the Strip.” Khaled Hroub, “Palestine’s Impasse: Israeli Occupation, Regional Conflicts and Internal Division,” IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook 2018 (IEMed, 2018), p. 238.
4. Amnesty International, “Israel/OPT: Civilians Must Be Protected After Unprecedented Escalation in Violence,” amnesty.org.uk (7 October 2023). UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “Secretary-General’s Remarks to the Security Council—On the Middle East,” un.org (24 October 2023).
5. At the outset of the second intifada, Hamas was suspicious that the revolt did not reflect a genuine change of strategy by Fatah but rather a short-lived popular mobilization aimed at pressuring Israel to concede more in negotiations. A couple of weeks later, Hamas joined in full force. Hani Awwad, “How Arafat Planned for the Second Intifada, Then Turned Against It,” Metras (25 October 2018) [Arabic].
6. Cf. Basem Ezbidi, Hamas and Governance: Entering the System or Revolting Against It? (PCPSR, 2010), pp. 55–56 [Arabic].
7. On suicide attacks, cf. Farhad Khosrokhavar, Suicide Bombers: Allah’s New Martyrs (Pluto Press, 2002), pp. 113–119, 152.
8. Frode Løvlie, “Explaining Hamas’s Changing Electoral Strategy, 1996-2006,” Government & Opposition 48.4 (2013), pp. 570–593.
9. Hamas contested the election as the Change and Reform List and won 76 out of 132 seats. The Fatah bloc secured 43 seats and the remainder were distributed among smaller groups. For discussion of Hamas’s electoral platform, cf. Khaled Hroub, “A ‘New Hamas’ Through Its New Documents,” Journal of Palestine Studies 35.4 (2006), pp. 6–27.
10. Khaled Hroub, Hamas: A Beginner’s Guide (Pluto Press, 2010), pp. 136–143.
11. David Rose, “The Gaza Bombshell,” Vanity Fair (April 2008).
12. Interviews with Hamas affiliates, Ramallah, August 2009 and July 2012.
13. The Quartet was established in 2002 to help mediate Middle East peace talks and deliver economic and institutional support for the Palestinians. In practice, it was dominated by the US.
14. Yezid Sayigh, “Policing the People, Building the State: Authoritarian Transformation in the West Bank and Gaza,” Carnegie Papers (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, February 2011).
15. Björn Brenner, Gaza Under Hamas: From Islamic Democracy to Islamist Governance (I.B. Tauris, 2017), chap. 7.
16. UN Conference on Trade and Development, Report on UNCTAD Assistance to the Palestinian People: Developments in the Economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (6 July 2015), para. 60. UN Country Team in the OPT, Gaza Ten Years Later (July 2017), pp. 3, 28.
17. For a debate on the efficacy of armed struggle in Gaza, cf. As’ad Abukhalil et al., “Can Armed Struggle End the Siege of Gaza?” in Jamie Stern-Weiner, ed., Moment of Truth: Tackling Israel-Palestine’s Toughest Questions (OR Books, 2018), pp. 131–174.
18. In most aspects monitored by the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights—e.g., freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, illegal arrests—Hamas fares better than the PA. See, e.g., its annual report for 2022. It is also evident that Fatah operates almost freely in the Gaza Strip whereas Hamas is banned in the West Bank.
19. Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, “Public Opinion Poll No (80),” pcpsr.org (15 June 2021).
20. “Palestinian Factions Hamas and Fatah End Split on Gaza,” bbc.co.uk (12 October 2017).
21. Adnan Abu Amer, “Palestinian Elections: Fatah’s Fragmentation and Hamas Vigilance,” carnegieendowment.org (24 March 2017) [Arabic].
22. Ala’a Lahlouh and Waleed Ladadweh, “The Challenges that Forced the Fatah Movement to Postpone the General Elections,” pcpsr.org (July 2021).
23. Cf. Khaled Hroub, “A Newer Hamas? The Revised Charter,” Journal of Palestine Studies 46.4 (2017), pp. 100–111.
24. “Netanyahu Tosses Hamas Policy Paper on Israel into Waste Bin,” Jerusalem Post (8 May 2017).
25. Author interview with a Hamas official who spoke on condition of anonymity, 12 May 2017.
26. “IDF Intel Chief Warns Despair in Gaza Could Explode Toward Israel,” timesofisrael.com (24 February 2016).
27. “Netanyahu: Israel Examining Ways to Prevent Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza,” Ha’aretz (5 June 2018). Whereas international agencies uniformly attributed Gaza’s economic plight to the Israeli blockade, Netanyahu naturally blamed Hamas.
28. Daniel Blatman, “The Israeli Lawmaker Heralding Genocide Against Palestinians,” Ha’aretz (23 May 2017).
Chapter Eleven. Mitchell Plitnick
1. Mark Murray, “Poll: Biden’s Standing Hits New Lows Amid Israel-Hamas War,” NBC News (19 November 2023).
2. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), “Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel: Flash Update 42,” ochaopt.org (17 November 2023).
3. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “Biden Cast Doubt on Gaza’s Death Statistics—But Officials Cite Them Internally,” huffpost.com (26 October 2023). Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber, “Despite Biden’s Doubts, Humanitarian Agencies Consider Gaza Toll Reliable,” Reuters (27 October 2023).
4. Gal Beckerman, “‘The Middle East Region Is Quieter Today Than It Has Been in Two Decades’,” Atlantic (7 October 2023).
5. UN OCHA data.
6. Mitchell Plitnick, “In Latest Visit Blinken Offers Nothing to Palestinians,” Mondoweiss (3 February 2023).
7. IHRA, “What is Antisemitism?” holocaustremembrance.com (n.d.).
8. Mitchell Plitnick and Sahar Aziz, “Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in the Palestine-Israel Discourse,” Rutgers University Center for Security, Race, and Rights (November 2023).
9. Yousef Munayyer, post on X (formerly Twitter), 7 October 2023.
10. For a deeper examination of the history and ideology of Hamas, cf. Tareq Baconi, Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance (Stanford University Press, 2018).
11. Alex Gangitano, “White House Calls Lawmakers Not Backing Israel ‘Wrong,’ ‘Disgraceful’,” thehill.com (10 October 2023).
12. “Statement from Gerald Rosberg, Chair of the Special Committee on Campus Safety,” Columbia News (10 November 2023),
13. Andrew Jack, “US Universities Lose Millions as Donors Pull Funding Over Hamas Stance,” Financial Times (19 October 2023).
14. Anemona Hartocollis and Stephanie Saul, “After Antisemitic Attacks, Colleges Debate What Kind of Speech Is Out of Bounds,” New York Times (9 November 2023).
15. Joyce Li, “NU Students for Justice in Palestine Leads Walkout, Calls for University Divestment and Support for Palestinians,” The Daily Northwestern (26 October 2023).
16. “Jewish Student Tells Jake She Doesn’t Feel Safe at MIT,” The Lead—CNN (14 November 2023).
17. Cf. Sarah O’Neal, “US Media Outlets Smear Palestinians as Inherently Violent in January Coverage,” palestine-studies.org (26 April 2023).
18. Bridge Initiative Team, “Factsheet: Common Anti-Muslim Tropes,” Bridge: A Georgetown University Initiative (4 December 2018).
19. Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics (The New Press, 2021).
20. Justin Papp, “Protesters Calling for Cease-Fire in Gaza Keep Up Drumbeat on Capitol Hill,” Roll Call (16 November 2023).
21. “‘Let Gaza Live’: Calls for Cease-Fire Fill Grand Central Terminal,” New York Times (31 October 2023).
22. “March for Israel Speaker Pastor Hagee Once Said God ‘Sent Hitler to Help Jews Reach the Promised Land,’” Democracy Now! (15 November 2023).
23. Ali Harb, “‘No Ceasefire’: Israel Supporters Gather in Washington, DC, Amid Gaza War,” aljazeera.com (15 November 2023).
24. For a partial list of the demonstrations and groups involved, cf. Heather Hollingsworth and David Crary, “Longtime Israeli Policy Foes Are Leading US Protests Against Israel’s Action in Gaza. Who Are They?” apnews.com (16 November 2023). Ali Harb, “Group Stages ‘Die-Ins’ Across Washington, DC to Raise Awareness for Gaza,” aljazeera.com (28 November 2023).
25. Kelly Hayes, “This Weekend’s DC Protest Was Largest Pro-Palestine Mobilization in US History,” truthout.org (5 November 2023).
26. “Estimated 290K Attend March for Israel in Washington DC,” ABC 7 Chicago (14 November 2023).
27. Maha Nassar, “‘From the River to the Sea’—a Palestinian Historian Explores the Meaning and Intent of Scrutinized Slogan,” theconversation.com (16 November 2023).
28. Anti-Defamation League, “Allegation: ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free’,” adl.org (26 October 2023).
29. “Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for Antisemitic Activity, Sympathizing With Terrorist Organizations, and Leading an Insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex,” H. Res. 829, 118th Congress (1 November 2023).
30. Akela Lacy, “GOP Representative Denies Existence of ‘Innocent Palestinian Civilians’ and Tries to Hobble Aid to Gaza,” theintercept.com (1 November 2023).
31. Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis, “House Democrat Pulls Resolution to Censure GOP Rep. Mast,” thehill.com (8 November 2023).
32. “Voters Agree the US Should Call for a Ceasefire and De-Escalation of Violence in Gaza to Prevent Civilian Deaths,” dataforprogress.com (20 October 2023).
33. “Reuters/Ipsos Survey: Israel Hamas War and the 2024 Election,” ipsos.com (15 November 2023).
34. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “Exclusive: ‘Mutiny Brewing’ Inside State Department Over Israel-Palestine Policy,” huffpost.com (19 October 2023).
35. Nahal Toosi, “US Diplomats Slam Israel Policy in Leaked Memo,” politico.com (6 November 2023).
36. Michael Birnbaum and John Hudson, “Blinken Confronts State Dept. Dissent Over Biden’s Gaza Policy,” Washington Post (14 November 2023).
37. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “Biden’s Israel-Gaza Approach Sidelines State Department, and Officials Fear the Worst,” huffpost.com (2 November 2023).
38. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “‘I Couldn’t Shift Anything’: Senior State Department Official Resigns Over Biden’s Gaza Policy,” huffpost.com (19 October 2023).
39. “A Statement by Journalists: We Condemn Israel’s Killing of Journalists in Gaza and Urge Integrity in Western Media Coverage of Israel’s Atrocities Against Palestinians,” protect-journalists.com (9 November 2023). For empirical support for allegations of pro-Israel media bias, cf. Conor Smyth, “For Cable News, a Palestinian Life Is Not the Same as an Israeli Life,” fair.org (17 November 2023).
40. Max Tani, “LA Times Blocks Reporters Who Signed Open Letter Criticizing Israel From Covering Gaza,” semafor.com (17 November 2023).
41. “‘No Ceasefire, No Votes’: Arab American Support for Biden Plummets Over Gaza Ahead of 2024 Election,” democracynow.org (7 November 2023).
42. National Muslim Democratic Council, “2023 Ceasefire Ultimatum,” muslimdems.org (30 October 2023).
43. Kathy Frankovic and David Montgomery, “Americans Support Ceasefires in Both Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine Wars,” yougov.com (29 November 2023),
44. Sharon Zhang, “Biden Approval Hits Low With 70 Percent of Young Voters Opposing His Gaza Policy,” truthout.org (21 November 2023).
45. “Modest Backing for Israel in Gaza Crisis,” pewresearch.org (13 January 2009).
Chapter Twelve. Talal Hangari
1. On October 26, 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted by 121 votes to 14 a resolution condemning “all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians” and calling for “an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.” Britain was among the 44 delegations that abstained. On December 12, 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted by 153 votes to 10 a resolution demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.” Britain was among the 23 delegations that abstained.
2. A mid-October survey conducted by YouGov found 76 percent of British adults either “definitely” or “probably” in favor of “an immediate ceasefire.”
79. Netanyahu: “[W]e will implement and exhaust every possibility to bring them home.” Benny Gantz: “[W]e’ll do anything to return the hostages.” Merav Sever and Avi Cohen, “Netanyahu in the Meeting: ‘We Will Implement and Exhaust Every Possibility to Bring Them Home,’ the Families of the Kidnapped: ‘You Must Bring Them Back, That’s on You’,” Israel Hayom (28 October 2023) [Hebrew]. “Gantz:We Will Do Everything to Bring Back the Hostages. We Will Fight Whoever We Have to and Speak With Whoever We Can,” mako.co.il (7 November 2023) [Hebrew].
80. Tamar Hermann and Or Anabi, “‘Swords of Iron’ Flash Survey: Most of the Jewish Public Believes the Most Important War Aim Is Releasing the Hostages, Followed by the Destruction of Hamas,” idi.org.il (24 November 2023).
81. Itamar Eichner and Reuters, “Report: Negotiations for the Release of Children and Women from Hamas Captivity— in Exchange for the Release of Female Prisoners from Prison in Israel,” ynet.co.il (9 October 2023) [Hebrew].
82. The IDF reportedly estimated that 1,000 to 3,000 Hamas fighters were killed in Gaza prior to the temporary ceasefire, far from a fatal blow to the organization’s military capabilities. Various claims were made by the Israeli government and its supporters in order to create the impression that the military assault led to significant concessions by Hamas and to a deal more favorable to Israel. These assertions were not backed by any evidence and were inconsistent with multiple press reports regarding the terms of the proposed exchange. Nadav Frankovitch, “The Public Is Being Told That Military Pressure Led to the Release of the Hostages. Is That So?” mekomit.co.il (22 November 2023) [Hebrew]. Dan Sabbagh, “IDF Messaging Suggests Gaza Truce Unlikely to Last Much Beyond Tuesday,” Guardian (26 November 2023).
83. Avi Dabush, “Starting This Week, I’m Also a Massacre Survivor. This Is What Has to Be Done Now,” Ha’aretz (17 October 2023) [Hebrew].
84. Ofer Cassif, posts on X (formerly Twitter), 10 October 2023 and 17 November 2023. Zeeshan Aleem, “A Leftist Israeli Lawmaker Makes His Case for an Immediate Ceasefire,” msnbc.com (22 October 2023).
85. Ofer Cassif, posts on X (formerly Twitter), 17 October 2023 and 20 October 2023.
86. An early and consistent critic of Netanyahu’s supposedly pro-Hamas policy was former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who played an instrumental role in diplomatically isolating Hamas, thus ensuring that its diplomatic overtures for a peace settlement would fail. Ksenia Svetlova, a former Member of the Knesset representing Livni’s political party, HaTnua, praised the Netanyahu government’s decision to “heed the call by Palestinian Authority President Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] to decrease the electricity supply to Gaza,” noting that it may “bring about a very great hardship” for the Gazan population and was a “positive step as part of a policy aimed at removing Hamas from power.” Ksenia Svetlova, post on Facebook, 12 June 2023. Alona Ferber, “Tzipi Livni: ‘A Ceasefire Isn’t a Solution’,” New Statesman (2 November 2023).
87. Egyptian and Syrian atrocities included the execution (including large-scale massacres) of Israeli soldiers who were captured or surren-dered, as well the torture of soldiers who were taken hostage, while Israeli atrocities included the carpet bombing of cities, burning down of villages, and execution of civilians. Protocol 334 of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Commission (31 October 1973) [Hebrew]. Oslo News Agencies, “At the Outset of the War There Were 500-600 Soldiers at the Bar-Lev Line,” Yediot Aharonot (27 November 1973) [Hebrew]. US House of Representatives, “Problems of Protecting Civilians Under International Law in the Middle East Conflict,” Hearing, 93rd Congress, 2nd session (4 April 1974).
88. Tommy Lapid (father of Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid) wrote: “Our retaliation must be so harsh, so overwhelming, so devoid of mercy, and so cruel— that it will inflict a national trauma upon the collective consciousness of the Arabs. The Arabs require, perhaps even want, for their souls to be shocked into accepting the existence of the State of Israel.” Yosef ‘Tommy’ Lapid, “Break Them,” Ma’ariv (9 October 1973) [Hebrew].
89. AFP, “Sadat’s Wife: I Have the Feeling We Are Standing on the Threshold of Peace,” Yediot Aharonot (20 November 1973) [Hebrew]. Eliezer Be’eri, “Instead of Stagnation— the Beginning of a Development Towards Peace?” Al HaMishmar (17 October 1973) [Hebrew]. “Golda: In Favor of Peace and a Territorial Compromise,” Yedioth Aharonot (30 December 1973) [Hebrew].
90. Daoud Kuttab, “Opinion: After a Cease-Fire in Gaza, There Is Only One Answer for What Happens Next,” Los Angeles Times (9 November 2023).
91. The Flagship Bulletin, Kol Hai Radio (22 November 2023), 00:15:00 [Hebrew].
92. Adam Ragson and David D. Kirkpatrick, “What Was Hamas Thinking?” New Yorker (13 October 2023).
93. Associated Press, “Hamas Official in an Interview to the AP: Hezbollah Is Currently Acting Against the Occupation, but We Expect More From It,” Ha’aretz (26 October 2023) [Hebrew]. Uriel Levy, “Hamas Officials Are Not Seeking a Deescalation and Call for the War to Be Widened,” davar1.co.il (9 November 2023) [Hebrew].
94. As indicated by Hamas’s head of international relations Bassem Naim: “[W]e didn’t choose this road while having other options. We have no options.” Rubin and Warrick, “Deeper.”
Chapter Seven. Khaled Hroub
1. Speech broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic [Arabic].
2. Mohammed Deif, “We Launched 5,000 Rockets on the Enemy’s Settlements and Cities,” Al Jazeera Arabic (7 October 2023) [Arabic]. It is noteworthy that Deif’s speech made repeated reference to the United Nations and international law. This cuts against reductive distinctions made by some commentators on Hamas between diplomatic “moderates” outside Gaza and military “hardliners” within. Based on close observation over many years, this author can confidently state that both moderates and hardliners in Hamas are distributed across the board. Cf. Nour Abu Aisha, “‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ Proceeding According to Plan: Palestinian Group,” aa.com.tr (7 October 2023).
3. Already five years ago, this author joined many observers in warning of “a large-scale explosion in the Strip.” Khaled Hroub, “Palestine’s Impasse: Israeli Occupation, Regional Conflicts and Internal Division,” IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook 2018 (IEMed, 2018), p. 238.
4. Amnesty International, “Israel/OPT: Civilians Must Be Protected After Unprecedented Escalation in Violence,” amnesty.org.uk (7 October 2023). UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “Secretary-General’s Remarks to the Security Council—On the Middle East,” un.org (24 October 2023).
5. At the outset of the second intifada, Hamas was suspicious that the revolt did not reflect a genuine change of strategy by Fatah but rather a short-lived popular mobilization aimed at pressuring Israel to concede more in negotiations. A couple of weeks later, Hamas joined in full force. Hani Awwad, “How Arafat Planned for the Second Intifada, Then Turned Against It,” Metras (25 October 2018) [Arabic].
6. Cf. Basem Ezbidi, Hamas and Governance: Entering the System or Revolting Against It? (PCPSR, 2010), pp. 55–56 [Arabic].
7. On suicide attacks, cf. Farhad Khosrokhavar, Suicide Bombers: Allah’s New Martyrs (Pluto Press, 2002), pp. 113–119, 152.
8. Frode Løvlie, “Explaining Hamas’s Changing Electoral Strategy, 1996-2006,” Government & Opposition 48.4 (2013), pp. 570–593.
9. Hamas contested the election as the Change and Reform List and won 76 out of 132 seats. The Fatah bloc secured 43 seats and the remainder were distributed among smaller groups. For discussion of Hamas’s electoral platform, cf. Khaled Hroub, “A ‘New Hamas’ Through Its New Documents,” Journal of Palestine Studies 35.4 (2006), pp. 6–27.
10. Khaled Hroub, Hamas: A Beginner’s Guide (Pluto Press, 2010), pp. 136–143.
11. David Rose, “The Gaza Bombshell,” Vanity Fair (April 2008).
12. Interviews with Hamas affiliates, Ramallah, August 2009 and July 2012.
13. The Quartet was established in 2002 to help mediate Middle East peace talks and deliver economic and institutional support for the Palestinians. In practice, it was dominated by the US.
14. Yezid Sayigh, “Policing the People, Building the State: Authoritarian Transformation in the West Bank and Gaza,” Carnegie Papers (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, February 2011).
15. Björn Brenner, Gaza Under Hamas: From Islamic Democracy to Islamist Governance (I.B. Tauris, 2017), chap. 7.
16. UN Conference on Trade and Development, Report on UNCTAD Assistance to the Palestinian People: Developments in the Economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (6 July 2015), para. 60. UN Country Team in the OPT, Gaza Ten Years Later (July 2017), pp. 3, 28.
17. For a debate on the efficacy of armed struggle in Gaza, cf. As’ad Abukhalil et al., “Can Armed Struggle End the Siege of Gaza?” in Jamie Stern-Weiner, ed., Moment of Truth: Tackling Israel-Palestine’s Toughest Questions (OR Books, 2018), pp. 131–174.
18. In most aspects monitored by the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights—e.g., freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, illegal arrests—Hamas fares better than the PA. See, e.g., its annual report for 2022. It is also evident that Fatah operates almost freely in the Gaza Strip whereas Hamas is banned in the West Bank.
19. Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, “Public Opinion Poll No (80),” pcpsr.org (15 June 2021).
20. “Palestinian Factions Hamas and Fatah End Split on Gaza,” bbc.co.uk (12 October 2017).
21. Adnan Abu Amer, “Palestinian Elections: Fatah’s Fragmentation and Hamas Vigilance,” carnegieendowment.org (24 March 2017) [Arabic].
22. Ala’a Lahlouh and Waleed Ladadweh, “The Challenges that Forced the Fatah Movement to Postpone the General Elections,” pcpsr.org (July 2021).
23. Cf. Khaled Hroub, “A Newer Hamas? The Revised Charter,” Journal of Palestine Studies 46.4 (2017), pp. 100–111.
24. “Netanyahu Tosses Hamas Policy Paper on Israel into Waste Bin,” Jerusalem Post (8 May 2017).
25. Author interview with a Hamas official who spoke on condition of anonymity, 12 May 2017.
26. “IDF Intel Chief Warns Despair in Gaza Could Explode Toward Israel,” timesofisrael.com (24 February 2016).
27. “Netanyahu: Israel Examining Ways to Prevent Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza,” Ha’aretz (5 June 2018). Whereas international agencies uniformly attributed Gaza’s economic plight to the Israeli blockade, Netanyahu naturally blamed Hamas.
28. Daniel Blatman, “The Israeli Lawmaker Heralding Genocide Against Palestinians,” Ha’aretz (23 May 2017).
Chapter Eleven. Mitchell Plitnick
1. Mark Murray, “Poll: Biden’s Standing Hits New Lows Amid Israel-Hamas War,” NBC News (19 November 2023).
2. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), “Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel: Flash Update 42,” ochaopt.org (17 November 2023).
3. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “Biden Cast Doubt on Gaza’s Death Statistics—But Officials Cite Them Internally,” huffpost.com (26 October 2023). Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber, “Despite Biden’s Doubts, Humanitarian Agencies Consider Gaza Toll Reliable,” Reuters (27 October 2023).
4. Gal Beckerman, “‘The Middle East Region Is Quieter Today Than It Has Been in Two Decades’,” Atlantic (7 October 2023).
5. UN OCHA data.
6. Mitchell Plitnick, “In Latest Visit Blinken Offers Nothing to Palestinians,” Mondoweiss (3 February 2023).
7. IHRA, “What is Antisemitism?” holocaustremembrance.com (n.d.).
8. Mitchell Plitnick and Sahar Aziz, “Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in the Palestine-Israel Discourse,” Rutgers University Center for Security, Race, and Rights (November 2023).
9. Yousef Munayyer, post on X (formerly Twitter), 7 October 2023.
10. For a deeper examination of the history and ideology of Hamas, cf. Tareq Baconi, Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance (Stanford University Press, 2018).
11. Alex Gangitano, “White House Calls Lawmakers Not Backing Israel ‘Wrong,’ ‘Disgraceful’,” thehill.com (10 October 2023).
12. “Statement from Gerald Rosberg, Chair of the Special Committee on Campus Safety,” Columbia News (10 November 2023),
13. Andrew Jack, “US Universities Lose Millions as Donors Pull Funding Over Hamas Stance,” Financial Times (19 October 2023).
14. Anemona Hartocollis and Stephanie Saul, “After Antisemitic Attacks, Colleges Debate What Kind of Speech Is Out of Bounds,” New York Times (9 November 2023).
15. Joyce Li, “NU Students for Justice in Palestine Leads Walkout, Calls for University Divestment and Support for Palestinians,” The Daily Northwestern (26 October 2023).
16. “Jewish Student Tells Jake She Doesn’t Feel Safe at MIT,” The Lead—CNN (14 November 2023).
17. Cf. Sarah O’Neal, “US Media Outlets Smear Palestinians as Inherently Violent in January Coverage,” palestine-studies.org (26 April 2023).
18. Bridge Initiative Team, “Factsheet: Common Anti-Muslim Tropes,” Bridge: A Georgetown University Initiative (4 December 2018).
19. Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics (The New Press, 2021).
20. Justin Papp, “Protesters Calling for Cease-Fire in Gaza Keep Up Drumbeat on Capitol Hill,” Roll Call (16 November 2023).
21. “‘Let Gaza Live’: Calls for Cease-Fire Fill Grand Central Terminal,” New York Times (31 October 2023).
22. “March for Israel Speaker Pastor Hagee Once Said God ‘Sent Hitler to Help Jews Reach the Promised Land,’” Democracy Now! (15 November 2023).
23. Ali Harb, “‘No Ceasefire’: Israel Supporters Gather in Washington, DC, Amid Gaza War,” aljazeera.com (15 November 2023).
24. For a partial list of the demonstrations and groups involved, cf. Heather Hollingsworth and David Crary, “Longtime Israeli Policy Foes Are Leading US Protests Against Israel’s Action in Gaza. Who Are They?” apnews.com (16 November 2023). Ali Harb, “Group Stages ‘Die-Ins’ Across Washington, DC to Raise Awareness for Gaza,” aljazeera.com (28 November 2023).
25. Kelly Hayes, “This Weekend’s DC Protest Was Largest Pro-Palestine Mobilization in US History,” truthout.org (5 November 2023).
26. “Estimated 290K Attend March for Israel in Washington DC,” ABC 7 Chicago (14 November 2023).
27. Maha Nassar, “‘From the River to the Sea’—a Palestinian Historian Explores the Meaning and Intent of Scrutinized Slogan,” theconversation.com (16 November 2023).
28. Anti-Defamation League, “Allegation: ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free’,” adl.org (26 October 2023).
29. “Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for Antisemitic Activity, Sympathizing With Terrorist Organizations, and Leading an Insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex,” H. Res. 829, 118th Congress (1 November 2023).
30. Akela Lacy, “GOP Representative Denies Existence of ‘Innocent Palestinian Civilians’ and Tries to Hobble Aid to Gaza,” theintercept.com (1 November 2023).
31. Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis, “House Democrat Pulls Resolution to Censure GOP Rep. Mast,” thehill.com (8 November 2023).
32. “Voters Agree the US Should Call for a Ceasefire and De-Escalation of Violence in Gaza to Prevent Civilian Deaths,” dataforprogress.com (20 October 2023).
33. “Reuters/Ipsos Survey: Israel Hamas War and the 2024 Election,” ipsos.com (15 November 2023).
34. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “Exclusive: ‘Mutiny Brewing’ Inside State Department Over Israel-Palestine Policy,” huffpost.com (19 October 2023).
35. Nahal Toosi, “US Diplomats Slam Israel Policy in Leaked Memo,” politico.com (6 November 2023).
36. Michael Birnbaum and John Hudson, “Blinken Confronts State Dept. Dissent Over Biden’s Gaza Policy,” Washington Post (14 November 2023).
37. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “Biden’s Israel-Gaza Approach Sidelines State Department, and Officials Fear the Worst,” huffpost.com (2 November 2023).
38. Akbar Shahid Ahmed, “‘I Couldn’t Shift Anything’: Senior State Department Official Resigns Over Biden’s Gaza Policy,” huffpost.com (19 October 2023).
39. “A Statement by Journalists: We Condemn Israel’s Killing of Journalists in Gaza and Urge Integrity in Western Media Coverage of Israel’s Atrocities Against Palestinians,” protect-journalists.com (9 November 2023). For empirical support for allegations of pro-Israel media bias, cf. Conor Smyth, “For Cable News, a Palestinian Life Is Not the Same as an Israeli Life,” fair.org (17 November 2023).
40. Max Tani, “LA Times Blocks Reporters Who Signed Open Letter Criticizing Israel From Covering Gaza,” semafor.com (17 November 2023).
41. “‘No Ceasefire, No Votes’: Arab American Support for Biden Plummets Over Gaza Ahead of 2024 Election,” democracynow.org (7 November 2023).
42. National Muslim Democratic Council, “2023 Ceasefire Ultimatum,” muslimdems.org (30 October 2023).
43. Kathy Frankovic and David Montgomery, “Americans Support Ceasefires in Both Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine Wars,” yougov.com (29 November 2023),
44. Sharon Zhang, “Biden Approval Hits Low With 70 Percent of Young Voters Opposing His Gaza Policy,” truthout.org (21 November 2023).
45. “Modest Backing for Israel in Gaza Crisis,” pewresearch.org (13 January 2009).
Chapter Twelve. Talal Hangari
1. On October 26, 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted by 121 votes to 14 a resolution condemning “all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians” and calling for “an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.” Britain was among the 44 delegations that abstained. On December 12, 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted by 153 votes to 10 a resolution demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.” Britain was among the 23 delegations that abstained.
2. A mid-October survey conducted by YouGov found 76 percent of British adults either “definitely” or “probably” in favor of “an immediate ceasefire.”
