The Israeli army is fighting an all-out war against Hamas in Gaza after one of the deadliest offensives by the Palestinian group against Israel in recent years. The war began with a land, sea, and air assault from Hamas, an approach Israel has never seen in its recent history from the terrorist group. Israeli forces have responded in kind, and the conflict has already killed more than 1,100 people on both sides – including nearly 300 Palestinians.
It is a war that has caught both sides by surprise. Observers are not sure why Hamas launched such an offensive, which included infiltrating communities close to the border and killing or kidnapping civilians. They are also unclear why the military’s intelligence services could not anticipate such an attack.
Neither Israel nor Hamas expected such an intense and sudden fight, especially in the wake of talks that seemed to be making progress in the negotiations. The escalation is causing tremendous suffering for civilians on both sides of the conflict. It is the most brutal clash between Israel and the Palestinians since the First Intifada in 1987, when nonviolent demonstrations and boycotts were met with Israeli reprisals.
That intifada was sparked by the killing of four Palestinians run down by an Israeli jeep, and it led to the formation of Hamas as an alternative to the Muslim Brotherhood, which had dominated the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The new group presented as the “resistance” leader against Israel. Its terrorism and violence became the dominant form of resistance, but it was matched with the desire to end Israel’s occupation of Gaza.
In the years since, a pattern of violence and retaliation has developed. Occasionally, outside mediators would help negotiate a ceasefire. The Israelis accomplished their primary goal of enhancing their security, and the Palestinians achieved their goal of demonstrating that Hamas is the leader of the resistance. But the destructive cycle continued, with few breaks between attacks and retaliations.
The stalemate was interrupted in the last few weeks when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to signal a willingness to pursue peace negotiations. That has triggered a response from Hamas, leaving many Israelis and Palestinians deeply shocked.
It is unclear where the conflict will go from here. But if Hamas successfully attempts to impose itself as the sole authority on the lives of Israelis living in Gaza, Israel may find itself in a battle to expel it from power. This would inevitably lead to dismantling all forms of separation between Israel and the Palestinians, which is not in anyone’s interest. This conflict will continue indefinitely unless there is some radical political change in both Israel and the Palestinians. It is time for both sides to realize this and move toward peaceful coexistence. This is not a moment to give in to hatred and fear. The people of Israel and Palestine deserve better.
