By: Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh.
Two international summits were held in Sharm El-Sheikh, 29 years apart, yet both convened for the same declared purpose: achieving what is called “peace” and combating “terrorism.” In both instances, Hamas was the principal target for eradication, marginalization and exclusion. However, the record of the past 29 years reveals that Hamas has neither weakened nor retreated. On the contrary, it has grown stronger, more resilient, and increasingly entrenched in Palestinian society, emerging as the foremost popular force on the Palestinian scene, both at home and among Palestinians abroad.
Sharm El-Sheikh 1996:
Between 25/2/1996 and 3/3/1996, Hamas carried out four powerful operations in retaliation for the assassination of Yahya ‘Ayyash, followed by a fifth operation by the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (PIJ) on 4/3/1996. These attacks shook Israel to its core. Those invested in advancing the peace process felt their project was now “in jeopardy,” to use the words of Palestinian leader Saeb Erekat. This prompted the convening of an international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, “to combat terror,” dubbed the “Summit of the Peacemakers,” at the invitation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and US President Bill Clinton, whose fundamental objective was “to combat terror.” The conference brought together representatives from more than thirty countries, along with the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU). It was attended by Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Yasir ‘Arafat, and senior leaders from Russia, France, Britain, Japan, Canada and several Arab “moderate” states, among others.
The summit’s resolutions, which focused primarily on condemning “terrorism” and enhancing international cooperation to combat it, ultimately served Israel’s interests by framing Palestinian resistance as “terrorism.” Meanwhile, Israeli violence and its brutal occupation of the Palestinian people continued unabated.
Sharm el-Sheikh 2025:
The second Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, held on 13/10/2025 under joint Egyptian–US auspices, brought together over twenty heads of state, prime ministers and national representatives, including Egyptian President al-Sisi and US President Trump… The summit was presented as a show of support for President Trump’s plan to end the war on Gaza Strip (GS) and to outline post-war governance arrangements. It focused primarily on reviving the peace process. Trump’s plan seeks to “rehabilitate” Israel, impose a form of trusteeship over the Palestinians in GS, and disregard their political, sovereign and legal rights, while aiming to bring the armed resistance in GS to a definitive end.
Did the Resistance Collapse or Rise?
In the atmosphere surrounding the 1996 Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, Hamas, PIJ and other resistance forces were subjected to extremely severe blows amid widespread international incitement against them. Their suffering was immense, as the PA, working in coordination with Israel, left “no stone unturned” in dismantling the infrastructure of organized resistance. The remaining resistance cells were eliminated, and their leaders, such as Muhieddin al-Sharif, ‘Imad ‘Awadallah and ‘Adel ‘Awadallah, were killed, while Hasan Salameh was captured wounded. Did this mark the end of Hamas and the resistance?! No.
Roughly four years later, the al-Aqsa Intifadah erupted, and within a few months, the al-Qassam Brigades were once again at the forefront of the resistance. Hamas swiftly regained its popularity and vigor, especially as it became evident, to all, including Yasir ‘Arafat himself, the true nature of the Israeli mindset and its lack of seriousness regarding the peace process. Hamas paid a tremendous price: many of its most prominent leaders and figures, including Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, Dr. ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al-Rantisi, Salah Shehadeh, Isma‘il Abu Shanab, Jamal Salim, and Jamal Mansur… were killed. A number of its key military and organizational leaders, such as Ibrahim Hamid, ‘Abbas al-Sayyid, ‘Abdullah al-Barghouthi, Jamal al-Natsheh and others were imprisoned. Yet, was Hamas or the resistance eradicated?! No.
Hamas was neither defeated… nor crushed; on the contrary, its strength and popular support grew markedly. Following the conclusion of the Intifadah, it achieved a sweeping victory in the 2006 elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), securing 78 seats, including four independents on its list, compared to 45 won by Fatah, the ruling party.
Hamas, however, was never granted a genuine opportunity to govern. Fatah’s leadership and its supporters deliberately obstructed and undermined its administration, while Israel intentionally escalated its security and military measures. Simultaneously, the international Quartet imposed political and economic sanctions that amounted to a global blockade… As a result, the Palestinian schism emerged: Fatah assumed control of governance in the West Bank (WB), whereas Hamas maintained its authority over the GS, which endured one of the most severe forms of blockade. Together with other resistance factions, Hamas fought four major wars against Israel; in 2008/ 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2021. Were Hamas and the resistance eliminated?! Quite the opposite: despite the heavy toll, Hamas emerged from each war stronger and with even broader popular support.
During Operation al-Aqsa Flood and over the course of two years of Israel’s brutal war and aggression against the GS, Hamas succeeded in maintaining its resilience and—alongside other resistance forces—delivered a notable performance. In all opinion polls, it consistently emerged as the most popular movement, maintaining a substantial lead over Fatah, despite the loss of many of its senior political and military leaders, particularly in the GS, and despite the immense sacrifices and suffering of the Palestinian people, resulting from Israeli aggression.
Nearly three decades have sufficed to demonstrate that Hamas is a movement deeply entrenched in the Palestinian collective consciousness, steadfast in its adherence to the path of resistance and the preservation of national fundamentals, and willing to bear the costs through the sacrifices of its leaders and cadres. These years have also made clear that it cannot simply be sidelined in response to the preferences of Israel, the US or the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the PA in Ramallah.
Why Hamas and the Resistance Persisted:
In addition to the intrinsic factors related to Hamas as a moderate Islamic movement with a defined ideological mission, a cohesive consultative structure, and a dynamic organizational culture rooted in its perception of representing a legitimate national cause, the actual conduct of the relevant parties further strengthened prevailing Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic public convictions, as well as those of international sympathizers, regarding the need for Hamas and other resistance forces to maintain their role.
Israel exploited the peace process as a cover for expanding its Judaization and settlement projects. Its measures to Judaize the WB, including East Jerusalem, tightened steadily, alongside its efforts to annex territories and Judaize al-Aqsa Mosque. The Oslo Accords were gradually bypassed, and the Palestinian question effectively sidelined. Over time, the peace process faltered, the Oslo Accords collapsed, and the prospects for achieving a Palestinian state or a two-state solution through peaceful means completely eroded. Meanwhile, the PA transformed into a functional instrument serving Israel’s interests, focusing primarily on suppressing and pursuing Palestinian resistance through security coordination, all while corruption within its ranks deepened. On another front, the Arab and Muslim world grew increasingly weak, with many political regimes deprioritizing the Palestine issue and several even normalizing relations with Israel.
Simultaneously, the international community further marginalized the question of Palestine, leaving it adrift. Consequently, a conviction took root that Israel understands only the language of force and resistance, a conviction Hamas has embodied and articulated through its actions and discourse.
Enduring and Escalating Resistance:
It appears that the participants at the second Sharm El-Sheikh meeting failed to absorb the lesson of the first!!
29 years later, the Sharm El-Sheikh summit (followed closely by the New York Conference) sought consensus on removing Hamas from the political scene, on the pretext of non-compliance with the Oslo Accords (which Israel never honored in the first place) and on disarming it. The aim was to strip Hamas of any raison d’être, to render the Palestinian people toothless, and to punish them for their legitimate right to resist Israel. Yet resistance endures so long as the Israeli occupation remains. It is the will of a people and a nation, not merely of a party or faction, and it will continue to express itself through diverse and creative means; it will persist and intensify.
The difference this time is that the probability of a major wave emerging has risen and is set to accelerate, particularly after the immense shock generated by Operation al-Aqsa Flood. The resistance will not require another 29 years to vindicate its outlook, or to expose the failure of others to subdue it. The underlying causes that justify resistance, together with the escalation of the Israeli aggression and efforts to decisively settle the conflict against the Palestinians, are generating stronger, broader and more effective environments for sustaining resistance. What occurred during Operation al-Aqsa Flood is but one round in a continuing struggle; further rounds are likely to follow until victory and liberation are achieved.
Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations, 3/11/2025
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