---

By Francisco Gonçalves
Published in Fragmentos do Caos

We all want to stop seeing the brutal scenes of suffering in Gaza — bodies beneath rubble, children with eyes dried from too much crying, mothers screaming into the void. It is a human tragedy that wounds our conscience. But there's a question world leaders seem to avoid as if it burned: how can anyone call for a Palestinian State without first demanding the complete disarmament of Hamas?

How can one dream of peace… without removing the warlords from power?

Why is there no firm, unwavering demand that Hamas lay down its weapons? Why not deploy a UN peacekeeping force, blue helmets to protect civilians while ensuring armed control is relinquished? Why not invite Hamas to hand over its arsenal in exchange for international guarantees and a path toward a new political era? Instead, many countries continue to applaud diplomatic fantasies while reality explodes at the doorsteps of innocent civilians.

It's not hard to grasp the essential point:

• As long as Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist and missiles in hand, there will be no peace for either Palestinians or Israelis.
• As long as a group that refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist remains in power, a two-state solution will remain unworkable.
• As long as we promote a Palestinian State without demanding the release of hostages and the end of terrorism, we are simply institutionalizing suffering and perpetuating chaos.

The international community is being, at best, naïve. At worst, complicit. It prefers waving flags and shouting easy slogans rather than facing complex realities with courage and reason.

Yes, a Palestinian State can — and must — be born. But it must be free from Islamist control and the logic of hatred. A secular state, open, at peace with its neighbors and with its own citizens. That will only be possible if Hamas is removed from power — not legitimized.

So, it's not enough to wish for peace. One must demand the conditions that make peace possible.
And until such clarity prevails, we will all — the entire world — continue watching, helpless, as pain repeats itself in endless loops.

---