Arab Perspectives Following the Ceasefire Agreement | Avi Melamed

Arab Perspectives Following the Ceasefire Agreement | An article by Avi Melamed.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has sparked a wave of commentary across the Arab world, exposing deep divisions in how the conflict outcomes—and Hamas’s conduct—is perceived. The uploaded collection of articles, written by Arab commentators from Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, presents two distinct and often clashing narratives: one portraying Hamas as the embodiment of Palestinian steadfastness (“ṣumūd”), and another condemning Hamas for reckless leadership, self-serving populism, and moral evasion.

I. The Narrative of “Steadfast Resistance”

Several commentators emphasize Hamas’s resilience and portray the movement as a symbol of Palestinian endurance and dignity.

• Husayn al-Karra‘ praises the “ṣumūd” of Gazans, commending their ability to withstand immense suffering. He argues that Hamas’s sacrifices have achieved political gains and moral victories despite the heavy toll. In his view, the release of Israeli hostages is a minor concession compared to the broader strategic success of maintaining armed resistance.
• Muhammad ‘Abdi (Egyptian) similarly frames the conflict as proof of Palestinian strength. He writes that “Gaza has triumphed,” forcing Israel into negotiations and reshaping deterrence in the region. For ‘Abdi, Hamas’s resistance succeeded where Arab armies once failed: it not only defended Palestinian dignity but also galvanized global public opinion in favor of Palestine. The ceasefire, in this light, is not a surrender but a hard-won recognition of Hamas’s endurance.
• Nabil al-Jubayli (Lebanese) connects the European recognition of a Palestinian state to Hamas’s struggle, interpreting it as a response to the West’s fear of Islamist radicalization and the growing political weight of Arab minorities in Europe. His view situates Hamas’s campaign within a broader international ripple effect. In that context, Ma’mun al-Fandi (Egyptian academic) is arguing that the ceasefire was not a result of Hamas’s strength but of Western leaders’ fear of domestic political backlash as public opinion in the West turned against Israel.

Together, these perspectives elevate Hamas’s resistance to a historical act of perseverance. The “steadfast camp” views every Palestinian hardship as part of a noble sacrifice in the name of liberation. Together, these voices build a narrative where Hamas, despite the devastation, symbolizes dignity.
Suffering becomes a badge of honor. Loss itself is transformed into proof of perseverance.

II. The Critical and Reformist Camp

In sharp contrast, another group of writers denounces Hamas for hubris, moral evasion, and a catastrophic lack of accountability.

• Ibrahim Nur al-Din (Egyptian) launches a fierce critique of those in the Arab world who market imaginary victories and slogans empty of content, especially alluding to Qatari-owned Al Jazeera network, who praise Hamas ignore the devastation it has brought upon Gaza. For him, Hamas’s populism has cost the Palestinians their future, and those who celebrate such ruin should “cover their faces in shame.” Unfortunately, writes Nur al-din, the Arab street is inflamed with calls for violence, death, and destruction — “ṣumūd” (steadfastness). What achievement did October 7 bring he asks. He also questions Hamas’s claim of defending Palestinians: “Has Hamas ever prevented the destruction of even one Palestinian home, he asks. He thinks that October 7 buried the Palestinian state. If until now one had to wait thirty years, now it will be seventy. For forty years Hamas and jihad have brought disasters, ruin, and death upon the Palestinians. The time has come for them to make way for supporters of peace.
• ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Rashid (Saudi), in his piece “Propaganda of Victories”, condemns the cyclical delusion in Arab discourse—where every defeat is rebranded as a victory. Drawing a parallel to Hezbollah’s so-called “divine victory” in 2006, al-Rashid argues that Hamas’s “moral victory” narrative is hollow, masking the magnitude of Gaza’s destruction. When Hamas declares a ‘moral victory’, it clings to fleeting and temporary demonstrations of support held here and there around the world — demonstrations in which a few Jews take part.
• In conjunction with Al-Rashid’s observation, Lebanese commentator Muhammad Kawatz recalls Hassan Nasrallah’s post-2006 admission that he would not have launched the war had he known its consequences for Lebanon. Kawatz faults Hamas leaders for failing to heed that lesson, repeating the same tragic script of destruction without introspection.
• Samir ‘Adil (Iraqi) writes that Hamas turned “The Flood of al-Aqsa” into “The Flood of Gaza,” abandoning its people to ruin. He notes that Hamas now avoids invoking its original war slogan, rebranding its campaign as a “national struggle” to obscure its Islamist identity and military failure. According to ‘Adil, Hamas is “defeated inside and out,” clinging only to the fleeting comfort of Western sympathy.

III. The Episode of Avoided Accountability

A telling moment comes from Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzouk’s interview with the Al-Jad channel. When pressed about whether the October 7 attacks achieved any tangible liberation or whether the devastation of Gaza was worth the price, Abu Marzouk lost his temper and terminated the interview mid-broadcast. This episode, cited by Arab commentators and broadly discussed in Arab social media platforms, encapsulates Hamas’s refusal to engage in self-scrutiny or accept responsibility for the catastrophe inflicted on Gaza.

IV. Diverging Moral Universes

The contrast between these camps reflects two moral and political universes within Arab thought.
One, steeped in the rhetoric of resistance, elevates suffering as a virtue and interprets loss as symbolic victory. The other demands accountability, reform, reckoning of reality and an end to the mythmaking that perpetuates endless cycles of destruction.

The divide between Hamas’s defenders and critics illustrates a tragic loop within Arab political culture—a cycle of narratives that valorize endurance while avoiding reckoning with reality. This inability to confront failure allows movements like Hamas to survive politically even as their people pay unbearable costs.
The camp criticizing Hamas emerges as more powerful and convincing. Its arguments—anchored in empirical devastation, ethical reasoning, and the demand for accountability—resonate with moral clarity. By contrast, the pro-Hamas narrative leans on symbolism and emotional loyalty, offering comfort but little truth.

Final Reflection – The Western Boomerang:
Many Western audiences, out of genuine compassion, have rallied behind the idea of “standing with Gaza.”  Sympathy within some Western circles for Hamas, framed as solidarity with the oppressed, has paradoxically harmed Palestinians. By absolving Hamas of responsibility, portraying it mistakenly as a nationalist liberation movement, Western discourse has reinforced Hamas’s impunity and weakened the very people it claims to defend. When Western voices elevate Hamas as the authentic voice of Palestinian suffering, they erase the Palestinians who reject its rule—and silence those in the Arab world who demand accountability. In this sense, misplaced solidarity becomes a boomerang—returning to wound those it was meant to protect.

This article is also available as a Podcast: the AiTME Podcast. This Podcast was written and created by Avi Melamed, Middle East Intelligence Analyst and Founder of Inside The Middle East [ITME], an institute dedicated to apolitical, non-partisan education about the Middle East.

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Arab Perspectives Following the Ceasefire Agreement | An article by Avi Melamed.

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