Hamas lost the war. Big time. No gimmickry will undo this Hamas-made catastrophe; neither will the tactical achievements it has boasted of. Hamas' actions resulted in an unprecedented catastrophe for Gazans. Its overarching mission -- to be the leader of many Palestinians, failed spectacularly. In 2007, Hamas became the first Islamic movement to overpower an existing Arab government. By doing so, the terrorist organization had morphed into an Islamic powerhouse, serving as the model for other Islamic movements. The Arab Spring allowed Islamic groups to seize the reins of power in Egypt and Tunisia. They almost pulled it off in Syria as well. But Hamas is the only Islamic movement that has managed to stay in power. The Muslim Brotherhood, which provided Hamas with spiritual guidance during its first formative years, has shown it is inept at governing. After rising to the top, the Islamists failed to demonstrate that they had what it took to run a country, especially in Egypt. Their radical world view had them unwilling to compromise or show moderation. Hamas' 7-year rule over the Gaza Strip has been just as bad. The movement has failed by every measure, apart from holding on to power and constructing a massive tunnel network (which Israel is currently destroying). Yes, its missiles have become more sophisticated over the years, but apart from that it has had zero accomplishments. Gazans will sooner or later have to grapple with the reality on the ground. Once this happens, they would no longer drink the hate-filled Al Jazeera Kool-Aid, no longer will they buy those fairy tails about a "heroic victory." Only then will they appreciate the full scale of the operation. From his bunker in Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is watching how things unfold in Gaza, hoping things do not escalate in the northern front. For the Arab world, Nasrallah included, two things have become painfully clear in light of the recent flare-up: the first -- that the path of Hamas, that of radical Islam, leads to a catastrophic cul-de-sac, both for the supporters of the movement and its disenfranchised subjects. The second -- that provoking Israel could result in a calamity of unimaginable proportions that can withstand even the nonsense on Al Jazeera and the falsehoods sounded by the leaders of Turkey and Qatar. The operation has shrunk Hamas to its proper dimensions. It has now been reduced to a terrorist organization whose political wing has brought about destruction and ruin for its sympathizers.
