142: Can Gaza ever move on from Hamas? With Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

142: Can Gaza ever move on from Hamas? With Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

August 30, 2026 · 1h 43m · Episode 142

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges Gaza faces in moving on from Hamas with guest Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib.

To support our work, please consider joining our Patreon community (https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything), Substack (https://havivgur.substack.com/), or Buy Me a Coffee (https://buymeacoffee.com/havivrettiggur). And be sure to check us out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/haviv.rettig.gur/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@haviv.rettig.gur). -- Can Gaza ever be rebuilt while Hamas remains armed? Gazan-American writer Ahmed Fouad Al-Khatib returns to trace Hamas’s rise — from Islamist charities and the slow remaking of Gazan society to authoritarian rule, October 7, and ruinous war. Drawing on his childhood in Gaza and his new book, Hamas and Its Two Million Hostages, Ahmed argues that foreign aid, international NGOs, and Al Jazeera helped Hamas entrench itself while ordinary Gazans paid the price. He and Haviv confront the hardest questions: Can Hamas be separated from Gazan society? Could a movement built around armed “resistance” ever disarm? And is there still a path from permanent war to Palestinian nation-building and coexistence? Ahmed's new book, Hamas and its Two Million Hostages is available at…

People in this episode

Host: Haviv Rettig Gur

Guest: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

Topics covered

Sponsors

Dr. Chalo Smukler

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Al Jazeera, Patreon, Substack, Buy Me a Coffee

Products: Hamas and Its Two Million Hostages

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