Asmaa al-Ghoul, Palestinian author of A Rebel in Gaza, contributed an Op-Ed to Le Monde considering how Palestinians are supposed to react to the months long Israeli retaliation against Hamas, now that Israel has “obliterated any semblance of moderation,” with unrelenting bombing and lack of obvious longterm political strategy to establish peace. She writes from her perspective as a woman who has committed her life to positive change within Gazan society, “The current predicament lies in the stark reality that I must reiterate: All the societal struggles and the battle to safeguard freedoms in Gaza seem to have met a futile end…Today, the call for retribution resonates louder than ever, making it an arduous task to challenge any present or future Islamic resistance movement.”

DoppelHouse Editor-in-Chief, Carrie Paterson notes one of Al-Ghoul’s important points: “Hamas is not ISIS, aspiring to a caliphate that runs under Sharia law but are rather a nationalist movement.” Al-Ghoul’s emphasis is that Palestinians have committed to a common cause, one which is gaining support as the war continues. If not Hamas, Palestinians at home and in the diaspora as well as their international supporters are rallying around the idea of Palestine. And that won’t go away, no matter how many bombs fall. 

Al-Ghoul’s introductory paragraphs can be read here, but due to Le Monde‘s paywall, readers will have to subscribe to read the piece in its entirety.