For decades Hamas has enjoyed growing impunity for its crimes.
For instance, its leaders became increasingly active abroad, moving between Doha, Beirut and Ankara. After October 7, Hamas was also successful in getting many countries not to condemn their crimes against humanity. For instance, Russia, China, Turkey and other key countries did not condemn the Hamas attack.
Hamas has also enjoyed impunity from international organizations. It was able to built up a terror tunnel empire in Gaza in part because it got funding from abroad and because a plethora of organizations were willing to deal with health care and essential services.
The Palestinian Authority even paid salaries in Gaza, despite the fact that Hamas had forced it out of the Strip in 2007. The entire situation was strange. Hamas, a terrorist group, ran Gaza as if it was a government. Its leadership was hosted in Doha, the capital of Qatar, which is a major non-NATO ally of the US. By hosting Hamas, Doha actually got increased status as a Western ally. Turkey, a member of NATO, has also hosted Hamas leaders over the years for meetings.
But now Arouri is gone. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has said that Hamas “will never be defeated," after the assassination of its deputy leader in Lebanon by Israel. "A movement whose leaders and founders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated," Haniyeh said on Tuesday evening. READ MORE
