The complexity of the challenge in the Israel–Hamas conflict should not deter from the need to uphold humanitarian law and minimise the suffering of civilians by both the protagonists.
The Israel-Hamas clash diminishes prospects for the revival of the peace process and strengthens Hamas’ position as the preeminent Palestinian faction.
Md. Muddassir Quamar replies: It would be incorrect to assume that the ‘people in Gaza’ do not recognise the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). In fact, between 1994 and 2006, the Gaza Strip, along with parts of the West Bank, had remained under the PNA administration in accordance with the Oslo Accords. The problem is between Hamas and Fatah, the two dominant factions of the Palestinian national movement.
Rather than frittering away its limited leverage on issues such as refugees, settlements or borders, the international community should focus on borders as a means of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by posing a simple question to Israel: where do you begin, and where do you end?
An unstable Jordan will undermine India’s newly found nuanced and balanced approach towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and push it back to the insipid, ineffective and routine of yester years.
Prospects of a solution will hinge on the ability of the two sides to moderate their maximalist positions and the ability of the Obama administration to play the role of an ‘honest broker’.
S. Samuel C. Rajiv replies: It is important to note that the Hamas which is in power in Gaza does not recognise the PNA, which consists of the Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah. It can safely be assumed that Fatah also has significant cadres inside Gaza. After Hamas secured a majority in the January 2006 elections, it was not recognised by Israel given that the Hamas’ Charter calls for the destruction of Israel among other issues of contention between the two sides.
Violence between Hamas and Fatah which erupted in July 2007 led to the loss of over 600 lives. Since then, despite efforts at mediation by Egypt, Jordan, and the Arab League, both factions have not come to a common understanding on the future contours of their movement against Israel. When Jordan hosted peace talks between Israel and the PNA in January 2012, Hamas termed them as a ‘farce’ and ‘a waste of time’. It is pertinent to note that this was the first direct contact between the two parties since September 2010 when they met in Washington.
Israel has played up the differences between Hamas and Fatah to highlight the fact that the core problem in realising the two-state solution is the lack of an effective negotiating partner on the other side who can deliver on the possible terms of a future agreement while ensuring Israeli security. The Fatah, of course, does not subscribe to this view and holds Israeli policies on issues like the settlements among others as the major stumbling block.
Israel–Hamas Conflict and the Cyber Realm
Hamas and its affiliates, along with other hacktivist groups, have conducted numerous cyber operations against Israeli targets.