Analysis | Palestinian politics at a crossroads: Can Fatah's pragmatism win out over Hamas' nihilism?
However flawed, Fatah operates according to reasoned assessments, while Hamas considers no amount of death, suffering or defeat too great in pursuit of its millenarian ends. Both Hamas and Israel's far-right government must not be allowed to sabotage the Gaza cease-fire

Hamas gunmen in Gaza City this month. Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
However flawed, Fatah operates according to reasoned assessments, while Hamas considers no amount of death, suffering or defeat too great in pursuit of its millenarian ends. Both Hamas and Israel's far-right government must not be allowed to sabotage the Gaza cease-fire

08:36 PM • December 26 2025 IST
As negotiations intensify over the next phase of the Gaza cease-fire, Palestinian politics stands at a historic turning point. The U.S.-backed 20-point plan stipulates not only that Israel will withdraw from the devastated territory, but also that Hamas will lay down its weapons and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip. A new, Palestinian-led administration will take its place, backed by an international stabilization force.









