Hamas could thrive in a power vacuum

Dear Editor, I concur with your correspondent's article "Hamas could be more dangerous than ever" (15.10.2025). There cannot be a more dangerous phase after the end of bitter hostilities, or after the bloody fall of a tyrant, than the existence of a political and military vacuum while expectations of peace and retribution are high. Witness the civil war in Libya after the overthrow of Gadaffi, or the protracted violence in Iraq after the U.S. disbanded the Ba'ath Party and the Iraqi Army, following Bush's so-called "complete victory" over Saddam Hussein. The reason Europe did not descend into chaos in 1945 was because of the existence of Allied armies of occupation and the same was true in Japan. If Hamas is expected to disarm and demobilize and the Israeli Defence Force to remain in the background, then a different neutral authority with a military arm must immediately fill the gap, hopefully also with the presence of responsible Palestinians not connected to Hamas. If that fails to appear in the nearest week then either anarchy, or a new Hamas reign of terror, will take over Gaza and the IDF will be provoked into returning and continuing their endless murderous war. Yours faithfully, Wiktor Moszczynski tel 07786471833 88 Isambard Court, Brentford TW8 8FP Letter published in The i Paper 16.10.25