The Hamas/Israeli Conflict: Is it to Regain Land or Just Pure Terrorism?
To understand the full context of the Hamas/Israeli conflict, we must go back in time and delve into the historical context. The conflict between Hamas and Israel is a long-standing and deeply complex issue that has caused significant unrest in the Middle East, especially in the past month. So, who are the parties involved? How did the conflict arise? And, what exactly is the current state of affairs?
United Nations, Resolution 181. Courtesy of Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
Historical Background
The roots of the Hamas-Israel conflict can be traced back to the early 20th century when political movements and tensions began to take shape in the Middle East. After the Holocaust, Nazi German regime and Adolf Hitler’s persecution of more than 6 million Jews (1933-1945), many Jews were misplaced. The United Nations took it upon themselves to find a homeland for the hundreds of thousands of Holocaust victims.
According to the Office of the Historian, on November 29, 1947, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181, which would divide former Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in May 1948. Many Arabs were livid as most Palestinians were forced out of the land they had called home for centuries. The establishment of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent displacement of Palestinian Arabs laid the foundation for the ongoing hostilities. The Office of Historian emphasizes that the Arabs retaliated and threatened to attack as soon as the resolution passed.
Hamas, a Palestinian political and military organization, emerged in the late 1980s as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. It gained prominence in the Gaza Strip through a combination of social services and armed resistance, but can now be considered a terrorist organization.
Hamas: A Controversial Player
Hamas's designation as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States and the European Union, has added complexity to the conflict. According to the United Nations, the organization's charter includes statements that have been widely criticized, including its refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist and its call for armed struggle.
For example, in article 7 it declares, “ The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews) when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say: O Muslims (…) there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the gharkad tree [evidently a certain kind of tree] would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews.”
The phrase, “Free Palestine,” was coined by supporters of Hamas and the reclaiming of Gaza, which has now turned into a movement. While some see Hamas as a legitimate resistance group fighting for Palestinian rights, others condemn its methods and objectives.
The Israeli Perspective
Israel, on the other hand, views Hamas as a security threat due to its rocket attacks, tunnel construction, and terrorist activities targeting Israeli civilians. The Israeli government's stance is that it has the right to defend its citizens and territory against these threats. This has led to multiple military confrontations between the two sides over the years.
According to ABC News, the first Hamas uprising occurred in 1987 and ended in 1993 when Israel’s former leader Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine’s former leader Yasir Arafat signed the Oslo accords. This recognized Israel’s “right to exist in peace.”
Gaza
The Gaza Strip, a small and densely populated Palestinian territory, has been a major flashpoint in the Hamas-Israel conflict. Israel maintains a blockade on Gaza, which it argues is necessary to prevent the flow of weapons to Hamas. However, this blockade has also caused significant hardship for the people of Gaza, leading to criticism from various countries/governments around the world.
Inhabitants of Gaza are restricted to the small strip of land with little access to resources and the ability to immigrate or move. ABC News states, “According to the United Nations, 81% of the population in Gaza lives in poverty with food insecurity plaguing 63% of Gaza citizens. The unemployment rate is 46.6%, and access to clean water and electricity remains inaccessible at "crisis" levels, the agency states.”
According to the New York Times, about 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes once Israel was formed and the land was declared a Jewish state. This was a key point in history that has led to the violence and destruction ensued in the present day.
The Toll
Numerous attempts have been made to initiate peace between Hamas and Israel, often involving international mediators such as the United Nations, Egypt, and Qatar. These efforts have produced several ceasefires, but they have been fragile and temporary, with violence resuming periodically.
On October 7, 2023, violence broke out but in a far more drastic way. Hamas made their way through Israeli borders and began to attack. The crisis has taken a significant humanitarian toll, with thousands of lives lost and countless others displaced from their homes. According to the New York Times, “...1,400 people were killed- most of them civilians- and more than 240 others dragged back to Gaza as captives…”
Israeli civilians and troops have retaliated against Hamas with force, however, this has only increased the death toll. According to The Washington Post, more than 11,000 have been killed since October 7th, most of which being women and children.
The Path Forward
Resolving the Hamas-Israel crisis is a complex challenge, and there is no easy solution in sight. Achieving a lasting peace will require compromises from both sides, international cooperation, and addressing the root causes of the conflict, including the status of Palestinian territories and the well-being of their people.
Overall, the Hamas-Israel crisis is a multifaceted conflict deeply rooted in historical, political, and ideological factors. The ongoing violence and political stalemate have fostered suffering on both sides and strained international relations. Understanding and addressing the complexities of this situation is vital to finding a sustainable resolution and bringing peace to this troubled region.
