Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: Israel has re-embraced Hamas rule in Gaza

In this episode of The Times of Israel's What Matters Now, host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaks with Ahmed Fouad Al-Khatib, head of Realign for Palestine at the Atlantic Council, about the deteriorating humanitarian and political situation in Gaza following the October 7th attacks and subsequent war. Al-Khatib paints a grim picture of life in Gaza: rampant rat infestations, sewage-filled streets, collapsed infrastructure, and a population trapped in a state of 'no war, no peace.' Despite the destruction, Hamas remains entrenched in governance through fragmented local control, taxation, and a mix of remnants of its former bureaucracy and armed factions. Al-Khatib argues that Israel has effectively 'reluctantly embraced' Hamas’s de facto rule due to strategic constraints—Hezbollah tensions in the north, manpower fatigue, and looming threats from Iran—making a full-scale military campaign unlikely in the near term. He critiques the Board of Peace, the U.S.-led initiative to administer Gaza, as underfunded, understaffed, and lacking credibility, especially as Gulf states like Qatar and UAE retreat from regional engagement due to their own security crises. Yet amid despair, Al-Khatib finds glimmers of hope in the resilience of Gazans—those organizing education for children, pursuing professional development, and rejecting Hamas’s grip despite overwhelming hardship. The episode underscores a complex reality: a population suffering under multiple layers of control, yet still clinging to dignity, agency, and the dream of a future beyond war.