Why War?
Hamas, an Islamist organization that is dedicated to destroying Israel and is listed as a terrorist organization by the UK and many other nations, is in charge of Gaza.
The last elections held in the Palestinian territories were won by Hamas in 2006, and the movement overthrew President Mahmoud Abbas's rival Fatah movement to take over Gaza the following year.
Since then, Israel and Egypt have maintained a partial embargo on the Gaza Strip in an effort to isolate Hamas and put an end to attacks, especially the random firing of rockets against Israeli cities. This has resulted in multiple wars between militants in Gaza and Israel. Gaza's Palestinian population claims that Israel's airstrikes and restrictions on densely populated areas are collective punishment.
For Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, this year has been the deadliest on record. They also take issue with the limitations and military operations that are implemented there in reaction to fatal Israeli attacks. These tensions may have been behind the most recent attack by Hamas.
Furthermore, it's also possible that the militants wanted to increase their support among regular Palestinians. One possible tactic would have been to use hostages as leverage to get Israel to release some of the 4,500 Palestinians that are said to be detained in its jail.
The violence between Palestinians and Israelis on Israel's streets is another factor contributing to this escalation that hasn't been present previously. It's uncertain if all of this violence would stop with a truce with Gaza. However, carrying out the coastal strip bombardment will probably not stop fuelling the nation's internal unrest. Israel is forced to choose between seeing its social fabric fall apart more quickly or pursuing a truce sooner than it would have liked.
In general, Israel must to condemn acts of violence and hate speech, regardless of their origin, and administer fair and unbiased punishment to everyone. Israeli policymakers bear a special obligation to counteract ethnic prejudice that comes from the Jewish extreme right and to ensure that Palestinian residents receive the same protection from civilian and police violence as Jewish citizens. Leaders of the Palestinian community in Israel have a similar responsibility inside their respective communities.
Of Course There Will Be the Impact
Despite Gaza being one of the most economically disadvantaged locations in the world, the developing tech and startup economy in Palestine has been completely destroyed by the Israel-Hamas war. Several highly regarded startups have emerged from Gaza.
