Our ethical imprisonment is our ongoing Nakba

Execution of suspected informants

Sinwar emerged from captivity and assumed leadership positions within "Hamas", becoming the first military figure to take on the role of the head of the movement's political bureau.

Sinwar not only executed those he suspected of being informants but also those who disagreed with him politically. Mahmoud Eshtewi, a leader in the Qassam Brigades, was executed on charges of "ethical and behavioural violations."

The latter was said to include his communication with external factions of Hamas, specifically with the movement's leader, Khaled Meshaal. Jihad Jibril, a leader in the movement, stated in a letter he titled "Letter of Repentance" that Eshtewi, who headed the crisis cell formed to evaluate the 2014 war, produced a highly professional and detailed security report that addressed a set of questions raised within the ranks of the Qassam leadership and the security and military apparatuses of Hamas.

Killing, in Sinwar's realm, is a habit that is not confined to the occupier alone but extends to anyone who disagrees with him or is suspected of disloyalty. He carries out these acts with ease, and why wouldn't he? Or how couldn't he?

If there are those who proudly boast about Sinwar's actions, viewing the burial of a suspected informant while still alive as something not lamentable but rather a cause for celebration, hoping that such deeds reach their own nations.

Of course, they wish the same fate for anyone who opposes their views. There is no need to inquire about trials and evidence in such instances, as forcing someone to bury his own brother alive is considered a matter of "pride" (quotations author's).

A tool for murder

Once a symbol of the Palestinian cause, the keffiyeh has become a tool for execution and murder – not of the occupier but of the suspected – or is there really a difference between the two for those who led such acts alongside Sinwar?

Since the emergence of the Islamic Stae (IS) and before that, al-Qaeda, as well as all the extremists and terrorists who hide behind Islam (to carry out their acts), while Islam actually disowns them, we think they represent only themselves.

We condemn the crimes of Israel and criticise them. We blame the West for not respecting human rights, especially when the person is an Arab Muslim. However, many of us also refuse to respect the human rights of our fellow citizens.

Some justify killing anyone with a different opinion, accusing them at times of collaboration and at times of infidelity. We shed their blood carelessly, ignoring human rights and values we demand the West to uphold when dealing with us (Arab Muslim).

The massacre/slaughter, ongoing for more than two months in Gaza, as well as Israel's brutal retaliatory war against an entire people in revenge for a military operation led by Sinwar against the occupation, vilifying anyone who opposes it and wasting their blood, if it indicates anything, it shows that our Nakba (used in reference to the Nakba and also to mean calamity in this context)is great.

Since the first Nakba and the occupation of Palestine in 1948, our calamity is that we do not learn from our numerous mistakes but insist on repeating them.

Our Nakba is that we do not accept criticism, as the slogan of "no voice is louder than the sound of battle" has dominated us for 75 years and continues. Our Nakba is that we demand others to do what we ourselves refuse to do.

Our Nakba is that our minds are absent, willingly so. Our Nakba is that we slide into contradictions without realizing it, falling into the trap of justifying crime based on its perpetrator or victim. Here, justifying murder becomes worse than the murder itself, as Israel's crimes cannot justify Sinwar's crimes, and likewise, Sinwar's crimes cannot justify Israel's.

Can we overcome our moral, intellectual, and ideological imprisonment and become capable of seeing the naked truth, acknowledging crime as truly ugly – even if its perpetrator is our brother – just as ugly as we see it as when our brother is the victim? Have we not learned anything from our experiences?

As Karl Marx once said, "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce." But in our case, our Nakba's repeat themselves once, twice, and three times, and each time, the tragedy is greater, more horrifying.