THE grotesque spectacle on Jan. 19 of three female hostages, tortured for 470 days in Gaza's jails, being paraded through a hostile crowd before their release to the Red Cross, encapsulates the barbarism of Hamas. This tragic event underscores the reality that Hamas bears full responsibility for the war that broke out on that day and subsequently brought about the suffering inflicted on both Israelis and Palestinians and the devastation of Gaza. The time has come for the global community to confront this truth: there's no hope with Hamas. There's no peace with Hamas. Hamas is a roadblock to peace and stability, and its continued rule over Gaza spells ruin for the Palestinians and for the region.

Hamas's boundless brutality was laid bare on Oct. 7, when its forces launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, bombing cities and villages, burning homes on their inhabitants, raping and maiming, killing over 1,400 civilians, as well as taking more than 250 hostages, including children, babies and the elderly. These actions shattered countless families in a wave of violence that continues to haunt the region. Yet, the suffering does not stop with Israelis. Gazans, too, bear the brunt of Hamas' destructive governance. While claiming to champion Palestinian liberation, Hamas has prioritized dictatorship and militarization over the well-being of its people, instrumentalizing humanitarian aid as a means of oppression and redirecting resources toward building tunnels and stockpiling weapons.