There's an old fable about a scorpion that convinces a frog to carry it across a river. The scorpion repeatedly promises it won't sting the frog, and finally convinces the amphibian to carry it across. When they reach the other side, the scorpion promptly stings the frog. The dying frog asks why, after all the promises, the scorpion stung.
The scorpion replied, "I couldn't help it. It's in my nature."
It's in the nature of Hamas to be murderous and brutal, and only a day after the signing of a historic peace deal between the terrorist group and Israel, Hamas is viciously reasserting control over the parts of Gaza that the Israeli military has withdrawn from; they are committing reprisals and public executions.
Hamas carried out mass public executions in Gaza on Monday, just hours after signing a peace treaty with Israel — as part of a series of bloody reprisals following the withdrawal of Israeli troops, gruesome video shows.
The graphic footage shows eight badly beaten, blindfolded men kneeling in the street before each is shot dead by Hamas gunmen in front of a cheering crowd.
The terror group said, without providing evidence, that the killings targeted “criminals and collaborators with Israel,” the BBC reported.
It's been a little over 24 hours since the signing of the peace deal, and Hamas is staying true to form. What they consider to be "criminals and collaborators with Israel," it seems, is anyone who opposes Hamas' rule over Gaza, in any form.
Among those killed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, reportedly responsible for recruiting agents to a rival non-Hamas-aligned militia, Israeli outlet ynet News reported.
Following the IDF’s withdrawal, Hamas has quickly looked to reassert its control over Gaza, targeting the “clans,” or family-based armed groups that had gained strength during the conflict.
Like the scorpion's sting, it's in their nature.
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Here's the scorpion in the room: Any long-lasting peace in Gaza is dependent on making Gaza prosperous. Gaza, as I wrote only Monday, has the possibility of being another Dubai. It's in a location that could attract a lot of foreign investment: Beachfront hotels, clubs, and restaurants. Gaza could, as Israel has done, make the desert bloom, and the people of Gaza would likewise bloom. As I also noted on Monday, people who are making money are a lot less likely to go around looking for trouble. That's not an infallible rule, of course; Osama Bin Laden came from a well-to-do family. But it's a good general rule. And this kind of investment could make Gaza wealthy.
That's the great thing about capitalism: It works every time it's tried.
It's clear now that Hamas will never allow this to happen. Gaza now is what Hamas wants. No prosperity, only hate, violence, and their own brutal rule. Hamas is determined to keep its boot on Gaza's throat, and there will never be any modernization, any investment in the area while Hamas is in charge. They are fundamentally opposed to the one thing that could make Gaza prosperous, and given their scorpion-like nature, peace agreement or no peace agreement, it's only a matter of time before they lash out at Israel again.
Once again: There will never be a lasting peace in Gaza until Hamas is no longer a factor.
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