The unfolding crisis in Gaza is not merely a geopolitical conflict—it is a spiritual reckoning. As world leaders call for Hamas to disarm, the deeper question remains: who holds the moral authority to confront extremism within Islam itself? And can peace be brokered not through bombs, but through prophetic love?
Recent statements by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscore the urgency. Trump declared that Hamas “will be forced to disarm… quickly and perhaps violently,” while Netanyahu warned that “all hell breaks loose” if Hamas refuses. These pronouncements reflect a growing consensus among Western powers that military force is the only viable path to peace. Yet this approach risks entrenching an “us versus them” mentality that perpetuates endless war.
Meanwhile, Hamas has responded with brutal public executions in Gaza City, targeting alleged collaborators and rival factions. Eight blindfolded men were shot in the town square, their deaths broadcast as a warning. These acts, carried out under the guise of internal security, reveal a regime clinging to control through terror—not justice. Even if Hamas faces internal dissent or pressure from Iran-backed factions, summary execution is not a legitimate response. It is a violation of conscience and a desecration of Islamic law.
In contrast, visionary voices like Mark W. Gaffney have long called for a covenantal response. In his article Dereliction of Duty, Gaffney proposed a coalition of Islamic clerics—supported by OPEC nations such as Turkey, Qatar, the UAE, and Egypt—to confront Hamas under Islamic law and demand the release of hostages. This approach invokes Jesus, revered in the Qur’an as a prophet of peace, who healed even his enemies in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is a call not to empire, but to conscience.
“This faith‑anchored, covenantal approach was not a call to empire, but a call to conscience.” — Dereliction of Duty
This spiritual battle within Islam is not about theological purity—it is about reclaiming moral leadership. The greater Islamic community must decide whether to stand with Hamas’s narrative of holy war or rise under God’s law of love. The House of Ishmael and the House of Isaac are not enemies—they are brothers. The land they share is not a battlefield—it is a sacred trust.
The newly announced 20-point Gaza peace plan, which includes an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) involving the U.S., Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, offers a glimmer of hope. But it comes after unfathomable loss. True peace will not be achieved through military occupation or political maneuvering alone. It must be sanctified through covenantal witness—through trade corridors like IMEC and EcoPeace, consecrated as arteries of reconciliation.
To sanctify these corridors, we must raise up peace ambassadors—individuals and small groups who embody prophetic love and interfaith unity. These ambassadors must confront extremism not with weapons, but with wisdom. They must speak truth to power, even when that power wears the robes of religion.
In this moment, the world stands at a crossroads. Will we choose vengeance or vision? Will we perpetuate war or proclaim peace? The answer lies not in the hands of politicians, but in the hearts of those willing to stand under God’s law of love.