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Beyond Borders: Why American Security Depends on Hamas’ Demise
Palestinian children compelled to participate in a Hamas military parade. Photo: Twitter.
The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel was a global wake-up call, directly threatening American national security. This calculated act of international terrorism, claiming nearly 1,200 lives and approximately 250 hostages from more than 40 nations, shattered any illusion of contained threats.
Hamas, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization and a core component of Iran’s “axis of resistance,” poses a direct imperative for American security. Its persistence sets a dangerous precedent, endangering US interests and citizens worldwide.
Hamas is an Islamist militant organization, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, explicitly committed to Israel’s destruction and the murder of Jews through jihadist violence. The October 7 attack, a chilling tactical shift, showcased its depraved disregard for human life. A core Hamas strategy is the cynical exploitation of civilian life: it deliberately embeds military assets — weapons, rockets, and extensive terror tunnels — within densely populated areas, using human shields. This calculated tactic weaponizes civilian casualties for propaganda, creating a perverse global incentive for terror groups.
Iran, Hamas’ critical benefactor, provides substantial financial, military, and political support, making Hamas integral to Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and US interests. Hamas’ actions and perceived resilience serve as a dangerous template for global terror networks. Under Hamas, Gaza became a radical Islamic entity and a haven for global jihadist organizations, with ideological convergence and operational crossovers evident with groups like Al-Qaeda. Its ability to execute large-scale assaults and survive creates an “operational success” narrative, and inspires emulation and recruitment. Innovative tactics, like using commercial drones and bulldozers to breach borders, demonstrate dangerous adaptability.
The Israel-Hamas war has profoundly reshaped the global terrorist threat, directly impacting the United States. Hamas’ brutal October 7 assault, driven by its radical Islamist ideology, has been seized upon by jihadist groups worldwide as a call to action. This perceived operational success and the group’s Islamist narrative, are actively exploited by international and domestic extremists to radicalize and recruit individuals across the United States, leveraging social media for unprecedented virtual access.
The Islamist ideology espoused by Hamas, fundamentally rejecting Western democratic ideals, directly fuels antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment. This translates into tangible plots targeting Jewish communities, pro-Israel organizations, and US government and military interests.
Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including Hamas itself and Iran-backed Hezbollah — a critical partner in Iran’s axis of resistance — have explicitly called for violence against US assets and personnel globally. Hezbollah, with its established global criminal-financial network, has actively attempted to seed operatives within the United States, posing a direct and grave danger to American lives and interests.
Beyond direct violence, the threat extends significantly into the cyber domain, identified as one of the fastest growing dangers to US national and economic security. Pro-Iranian hacktivists and state-affiliated cyber actors, often linked to the same networks supporting groups like Hamas, may conduct disruptive attacks against US networks and critical infrastructure. The broader destabilization caused by persistent terror groups like Hamas and their state sponsors imposes a significant strain on US resources, diverting funding, increasing geopolitical risk, and fueling inflation, with long-term implications for economic stability and increased defense spending.
History warns against the dangers of persistent terror groups, and unresolved conflicts fuel tension and crises. While Hamas’ ideology may persist, its capacity for violence can be constrained, turning it from a major threat to a marginal irritant.
Eliminating Hamas is a self-interested imperative for US national security. Its military capabilities pose an enduring threat, allowing it to shape political reality. Hamas has historically reconstituted after attempted defeat, emerging scarred but triumphant from security vacuums. US counterterrorism strategy mandates persistent pressure to prevent reemergence. Denying Hamas its capacity for violence, dismantling its infrastructure, and severing its funding is a necessary, pragmatic step to secure America’s long-term interests and prevent future, more costly interventions.
America must therefore act decisively, leveraging its full national power — military, intelligence, diplomatic, and financial — to ensure the complete dismantling of Hamas’ operational capabilities and infrastructure. This pragmatic, self-interested approach is essential to safeguard the nation, protect American lives, and secure a stable future against the pervasive dangers of global terrorism. To tolerate Hamas’ continued existence is to accept a world perpetually menaced by those who reject peace and embrace violence
Amine Ayoub, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco. Follow him on X: @amineayoubx
The post Beyond Borders: Why American Security Depends on Hamas’ Demise first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Pounds Gaza City Suburbs, Vows to Press on with Offensive
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, August 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Israeli planes and tanks pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City overnight Saturday to Sunday, destroying buildings and homes, residents said, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with a planned offensive on the city.
Witnesses reported the sound of explosions non-stop overnight in the areas of Zeitoun and Shejaia, while tanks shelled houses and roads in the nearby Sabra neighborhood and several buildings were blown up in the northern town of Jabalia.
Fire lit the skies from the direction of the explosions, causing panic, prompting some families to stream out of the city. Others said they would prefer to die and not leave.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that its forces have returned to combat in the Jabalia area in recent days, to dismantle militant tunnels and strengthen control of the area.
It added that the operation there “enables the expansion of combat into additional areas and prevents Hamas terrorists from returning to operate in these areas.”
Israel approved a plan this month to seize control of Gaza City, describing it as the last bastion of Hamas. It is not expected to begin for a few weeks, leaving room for mediators Egypt and Qatar to try and resume ceasefire talks.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday vowed to press on with the offensive on the city where famine has been declared, which has raised alarm abroad and objections at home. Katz has said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas agrees to end the war on Israel’s terms and release all hostages.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City showed it wasn’t serious about a ceasefire.
It said a ceasefire agreement was “the only way to return the hostages,” holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for their lives.
The proposal on the table calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once a temporary ceasefire begins, the proposal is for Hamas and Israel to begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire that would include the return of the remaining hostages.
On Thursday, Netanyahu said that Israel would immediately resume negotiations for the release of all 50 hostages – of whom Israel believes around 20 are still living – and an end to the nearly two-year-old war but on terms acceptable to Israel.
‘HUNGRY AND AFRAID’
Around half of the enclave’s two million people currently live in Gaza City. A few thousand have already left, carrying their belongings on vehicles and rickshaws.
“I stopped counting the times I had to take my wife and three daughters and leave my home in Gaza City,” said Mohammad, 40, via a chat app. “No place is safe, but I can’t take the risk. If they suddenly begin the invasion, they will use heavy fire.”
Others said they will not leave, no matter what.
“We are not leaving, let them bomb us at home,” said Aya, 31, who has a family of eight, adding that they couldn’t afford to buy a tent or pay for the transportation, even if they did try to leave. “We are hungry, afraid and don’t have money.”
A global hunger monitor said on Friday that Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine that will likely spread. Israel has rejected the assessment and says it ignores steps it has taken since late July to increase aid.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
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Iran Signals Willingness to Scale Back Uranium Enrichment to Ease Tensions
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – Iran may be prepared to significantly reduce its uranium enrichment levels in a bid to stave off renewed UN sanctions and limit the risk of further strikes by Israel and the United States, according to a report published Sunday in The Telegraph.
Citing Iranian sources, the paper said Tehran is considering lowering enrichment from 60% to 20%.
The move is reportedly being championed by Ali Larijani, the newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who is holding talks with regime leaders.
“Larijani is trying to convince the system to reduce the level of enrichment in order to avoid further war,” a senior Iranian official told the paper.
The proposal, however, faces stiff resistance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has long opposed concessions on the nuclear program. Still, the report suggests Iran’s leadership may be open to greater flexibility, including the possibility of reviving engagement with Western powers.
Last month, i24NEWS reported exclusively that a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to travel to Iran. The team of technical experts would seek to resume monitoring of nuclear sites, inspections that have been heavily restricted in recent years.
The development comes amid mounting regional tensions and could represent a critical turning point in the long-running nuclear standoff.
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Major Brush Fire Erupts Near Jerusalem, Evacuations Underway
A view of the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train seen over the HaArazim Valley (“Valley of Cedars”) just outside of Jerusalem, Sept. 25, 2018. Photo: Yossi Zamir/Flash90.
i24 News – A large brush fire broke out Sunday in the Cedars Valley area, near Route 1 and the Motza interchange, prompting an emergency response from Jerusalem district fire services. Several water-bombing planes were dispatched, and authorities have declared a “fire emergency.”
As a precaution, residents of Mevaseret Zion are being evacuated. Access to the town from Route 1 has already been blocked, and officials are weighing a full closure of the major highway.
Fire crews from the Ha’uma station are on site working to contain the flames, while motorists in the area are urged to heed traffic updates and follow instructions from emergency services.
Eight firefighting aircraft are currently operating above the blaze in support of ground teams. The fire comes amid one of the hottest, driest summers on record, with conditions fueling a series of destructive wildfires across the country.
Officials warn the situation remains critical, as the blaze threatens a vital transportation corridor leading into Jerusalem.