The Hamas October 7th rape, mutilation, and butchery of innocent babies, children, women, men, the elderly, whole families, and entire communities sickened the moral world. Hamas’ very public promise on October 24 to launch second, third, and fourth such blitzkrieg attacks should have received far more alarmed coverage than the media gave it. They mean it; they won’t stop. And no amount of diplomatic entreaty, intrigue, or accommodation will bring Hamas to heel. They acknowledge no earthly master to whom they owe fidelity or from whom they will accept limitations on their destructive jihad. Totally obliterating Hamas is the only civilized response available.

Gazans voted Hamas into power. Gazan mobs took to the streets to celebrate the massacre and to record the abasement of the hostages. As of a couple of days ago, more than half of Gaza’s residents, and three-quarters of those who identify as Palestinians overall, expressed support for the Hamas attacks and policies. More than 10,000 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip since early October, with at least 10% landing in Gaza itself.

There is no possibility for peace and stability, either within Israel or regionally, as long as Gaza continues to exist.

Image: A Gaza tunnel under a hospital. YouTube screen grab.

Removing Hamas as a political entity must result in the reduction of Palestinian governance, for now, to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. This does not mean that the PA should have any control over what is currently called the Gaza Strip. Rather, Gazans wishing to live under PA governance should be relocated to the Palestinian portion of the West Bank. It’s only about 40 miles as the crow flies. The remainder, after careful vetting, could dwell as internally displaced persons under Israeli governance. Let the people choose.

If the Palestinian Authority can’t afford the influx, they could petition the UN or international banks or maybe even Qatar to return the billions stolen from the Gazans by their Hamas overlords.

It will take months and lots of bunker-buster bombs to rid the Gaza area of all the terrorist and smuggling tunnels. Every piece of infrastructure used to house terrorists and support their activities needs to be reduced to rubble—houses, office and apartment buildings, markets, schools, and hospitals. It might be best just to turn Gaza into a vacant lot.

Such a demolition should serve as a clear message to those allowing the use of their territories as a base from which to attack Israel. However, I doubt there is much room for lessons to be learned. Parts of the West Bank and southern Lebanon might be better off as vacant lots, too. And Yemen. And Syria.

Gaza must disappear. Those of its people who wish to live under Israeli governance should be then treated as accepted refugees—housed, educated, trained, and employed. Perhaps, in a generation or two, without outside interference from the UN and other radicalized nongovernmental or multilateral organizations, they will be contributing members of a thriving, peaceful country.

A redevelopment plan for the Northwest corner of Israel, perhaps as a Special Economic Zone for trade and tourism, could be implemented. That way, infrastructure like water and sewer would be guaranteed to stay in place and not be repurposed for warfare.

The Abraham Accords established a good model—peaceable commerce and trade with Israel lead only to increased prosperity. Peaceable commerce and trade within Israel would, too.

So it’s goodbye, Gaza. And honestly, is there any viable option?

Anony Mee is the nom de blog of a retired public servant.