Hamas, Israel, and Gaza From The 'Flood of the Aqsa' to the Emptying of the Strip Decision Making between Right and Wrong (original) (raw)

Hamas: Charting a New Strategic Course of Action

Unlike in the past, the latest escalation of violence between Hamas and Israel is not another tactical and limited round. It is instead part of a new strategic direction taken by Hamas in an effort to capitalize on the circumstances created by the July 2 murder of a Palestinian youth, apparently by Jewish extremists, in Jerusalem. In so doing, Hamas intends to create a meaningful change in its difficult geopolitical, economic, and intra-Palestinian position. Consequently, it seems that the Israeli offer -"quiet will be answered by quiet" -expressed a misunderstanding of Hamas's aims, and of the change underway in the "internal grammar" of the rules of the game that have characterized previous rounds of Israel-Hamas conflict. Hamas does not desire quiet at the moment because, in the absence of any other option, it views the Israeli escalation -whether in the immediate term, in "Operation Protective Edge," or beyond -as an opportunity to break its diplomatic and economic isolation.

The Destructive Grip of Hamas on Gaza Strip

Hamas, has been classified as a terrorist organization by the US, UK, EU, and Israel. As a result of their main purpose, which is to completely destroy the sovereign State of Israel, they are conducting a variety of deadly terrorist activities. The purpose of this essay is to investigate the lack of good governance by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as a very important result of their destructive attitude and activities towards the state of Israel, and even their own residents. Although there have been some relative failures and successes during the process of conflict between Hamas and the state of Israel; it seems to be impossible to create a truly sustainable and peaceful relationship between the neighboring entities under the current circumstances. To emphasize the main argument about the cause for the lack of good governance in the Gaza Strip explicitly: the nature and goal of the terrorist organization Hamas, is the total destruction of the sovereign state of Israel, in which all means seem to be justified. It must be clear that there will be no true opportunity to strive for sustainable peace, in order to install good governance in the Gaza Strip, unless they change their ideology to recognize the sovereignty of the state of Israel, and act upon accordingly.

The war in Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A turning point in the midst of an endless cycle of violence

Xavier Pons Rafols, 2024

The purpose of this essay/editorial - closed on 8 January 2024 - is to formulate as fully as possible, although necessarily provisional, an approach from the perspective of International Law to the war in Gaza that began a little over three months ago, and more generally to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has lasted at least seventy-five years, with the creation of the state of Israel, the first Arab-Israeli war and the Nakba to which the Palestinian people have been condemned. In other words, this is a brief international legal approach to a moment of crisis and intensification of a historic conflict that, in these months, has been a real turning point in the endless cycle of violence that has plagued the region for decades. To this end, this essay addresses various issues of international legal relevance in relation to the current war in Gaza, such as the conceptualisation of international terrorism; the justification of legitimate self-defence used by Israel and, in particular, the conditions required by International Law for its exercise; as well as the possible commission of serious crimes of international concern - war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide -, the applicability of International Humanitarian Law and the call for individual criminal responsibility in this context. This essay also analyses the response of the international community organized in the United Nations to the current war in Gaza, highlighting the insufficient action of the Security Council during these months of acute crisis, the majority reaction of the General Assembly calling for a cessation of hostilities, and the repeated and futile humanitarian appeals made by its Secretary-General. In order to place the current crisis in the perspective of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, there are also briefly discussed the historical and political context, in particular the results of the occupation of territories in the Six-Day War of 1967, the consistent position of the General Assembly on the Palestinian question, the United Nations action on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as the Security Council’s action on these Territories and the proposed peace initiatives, in particular with regard to the two-State solution. The essay concludes with concluding remarks and an epilogue where, in view of the current humanitarian catastrophe and the protracted nature of the conflict, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of hostages, and for the current phase of the conflict to become a genuine turning point that can be grasped as an opportunity for peace in the region.

The Gaza Conundrum and Beyond

Quest for Middle East Analysis, 2014

The longer it takes to arrive at a political solution to the Palestinian dilemma, the more likely this rudderless and negative spiral of war and revenge will maintain the conditions for a ceaseless fight.

CHARTING A NEW COURSE Overcoming the stalemate in Gaza

This report was initiated by members of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA). Signatories to this report include AIDA members and members of other regional coordination networks. Suleiman built a small one-room shelter for his family using the rubble of his house, which was bombed in August 2014. 'This was the only solution for us. Life is getting even more unbearable. We are hoping for one thing: reconstruction. But honestly, I don't know if I should keep In 2014, after unprecedented destruction and suffering in Gaza, international donors pledged $3.5bn and a change in approach. Six months later, reconstruction and recovery have barely begun, there has been no accountability for violations of international law, and Gaza remains cut off from the West Bank. This paper outlines an achievable course of action to address the root causes of the recurrent conflict and put international engagement with Gaza on the right course.

Rethinking the Palestinian Problem and 'The Right Strategy' for Palestinian Liberation

Insight Turkey, 2021

The Palestinian tragedy is not simply a matter of one nationstate suppressing another nation that has been deprived of its legitimate right to establish its own state. It is also an ‘international problem’ granting that it has regional, international and global dimensions which implicate the hegemonic world system. An emancipatory approach to the Palestinian problem requires that the narrative about the ‘two-state solution’ be abandoned given that it has become a rhetorical shield for international society’s silence in the face of the Israeli fait accomplis in occupied territories. The Arab and the Muslim world, alongside the rest of international society, should no longer view Israel as a ‘normal’ state. Rather, the world ought to consider acting collectively to impose economic, financial, military, political/diplomatic, and cultural embargo against this aggressive, expansionist, and racist state through the United Nations and a host of other international and regional organizations, as was the case vis-à-vis the Apartheid South Africa during the Cold War

The day after How Hamas envisions the future of Gaza

The day after How Hamas envisions the future of Gaza , 2024

As hopes for a ceasefire draw closer, plans for the “day after” in Gaza are being debated. In interviews with Mondoweiss, Hamas representatives lay out their visions for reconstruction and post-war governance, and the obstacles that lie in their way.

Fatah, Hamas, and the zero-sum game: Is there an opportunity to think outside the box? (March 2023)

The zero-sum game that has governed and still governs the Fatah/Hamas relationship remains the law regulating relations between the two pillars of Palestinian action and resistance. The most dangerous consequence of this zero-sum game is that it has become a black hole that devours the Palestinian people's achievements and heroic struggles and prevents them from making the progress needed to change the balance of power This article's purpose is not to rehash the saga of the split, reconciliation projects, and the national dialogue experiences jumping from capital to capital. We are not here to reiterate pleas to bridge the rift and prioritize national interests over factional ones In my opinion, the Palestinians are in dire need of a tahdi'a [truce or calming down] not with the occupation, fascist settler groups, and champions of genocide, transfer, and ethnic cleansing, but between their own factions and figures, and between Fatah and Hamas specifically. A tahdi'a, by nature, does not address or resolve differences but rather regulates them and contains their consequences. The time has come for a tahd'ia with regulating mechanisms and confidence-building measures based on a bottom-up approach, instead of merely reiterating passages from the tales of dialogue and reconciliation, in the hopes that someday, perhaps not too far away, we will transition from a zero-sum game to a win-win equation.