Al-Monitor Shocked to Find Governance in Gaza Isn't a Vacuum
Al-Monitor breathlessly reports a ceasefire allows 'Hamas forces back on Gaza streets,' providing 'crowd control' and 'resuming street patrols.' The implication is that a governing authority, reviled or not, resuming basic public safety functions is somehow extraordinary. One might wonder what they expected: a power vacuum amidst rubble and starvation? This narrative carefully sidesteps the fact
that for nearly two decades, Hamas has been the de facto governing body in Gaza, however oppressive or restrictive. When international bodies discuss a 'ceasefire' or 'truce,' what exactly is supposed to happen to the existing infrastructure for public order? Should chaos reign to better fit a desired political outcome? The double standard is clear: indigenous governance is only acceptable when
it’s palatable to Washington or Tel Aviv.