Israel-Hamas War: The complex history of the confrontation between Hamas and Israel that has lasted

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been ongoing for more than seven decades. Since the creation of the State of Israel, several wars have occurred. The country currently has robust defense systems to repel Hamas attacks from the Gaza Strip.

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in the city of Gaza, this Monday (09) - Photo Reproduction Mohammed Saber/EPA

For ten years, the international community has watched with concern the worsening of one of the oldest and most complex conflicts in the world: the confrontation between the Palestinian group Hamas and the State of Israel. This historical conflict has already lasted just over three decades. The most recent episode of hostilities between them occurred last Saturday (07), when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory. The conflict, which is now in its fifth day, this Wednesday (11), has so far resulted in the loss of more than 2,200 people, of which, 1,200 were in Israel and 1,055 in the Gaza Strip, according to the most recent information.

Israel

Israel is located in the Middle East and borders the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, the Red Sea, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Its form of government is a parliamentary democracy, composed of the legislative, executive and judicial powers. Most of the land, approximately 93%, is owned by the State of Israel, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Development Authority. Administration of these lands is carried out by the Israel Land Authority (ILA), which issues long-term lease rights for several specific areas.

Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian area, located on a narrow strip of land on the west coast of Israeli territory, along the border with Egypt and bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. Gaza is approximately 41 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide. This region is characterized by high rates of poverty and overpopulation and also by the leadership of Hamas.

According to data from the United Nations (UN), Gaza is home to approximately 2.1 million inhabitants, of which around 1.7 million are Palestinian refugees. The UN highlights that this region has one of the highest population densities in the world. Furthermore, around 80% of Gaza's population depends on international assistance, with one million people receiving food aid every day.

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in the city of Gaza, this Monday (09) - Photo Reproduction Mohammed Saber/EPA

Hamas: Origins and Objectives

Hamas, whose name is an Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement, emerged in 1987 as an organization that combined social assistance activities and armed resistance against Israel. The stated objective ofPalestinian militant group is the creation of an Islamic Palestinian State in the region historically known as Palestine, that is, its central objective of the group that governs the Gaza Strip,is the recovery of lands currently controlled by Israel and the elimination of the Jewish State in the Middle East region. It is important to highlight that Hamas does not allow the existence of the State of Israel.

Historical context

To understand the current situation of confrontation between Hamas and Israel, it is necessary to go back in time and analyze the historical context. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, more precisely during the time of the Roman Empire,but gained strength after the creation of the State of Israel in May 1948. Right after,When Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon invaded the territory, this triggered the first in a series of conflicts known as the Arab-Israeli wars.Since then, the region has been marked by wars, failed peace agreements and constant tensions.

In 1949, an armistice agreement was reached, resulting in the separation of the West Bank from Israel, which became Jordanian territory, while Gaza was designated Egyptian territory. The armistice was intended as a temporary agreement, a prelude to future lasting peace treaties. In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was established. Between June 5 and 10, 1967, a conflict occurred in the region, known as the Six Day War, involving Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. At the end of this war, Israel expanded its territory, annexing the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, Gaza and the West Bank. In December 1987, the Intifada began, a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli government in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Gaza War in 2014

One of the most striking events of the last decade was the Gaza war in 2014. The conflict, which occurred between July and August of that year, resulted in a large number of deaths and significant destruction in the Gaza Strip, a densely populated Palestinian territory. The conflict left deep marks on both sides and exacerbated existing tensions between both nations.More than 1,800 Palestinians have died in the fighting in Gaza. On August 26, after 50 days of war, Hamas and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement, negotiated through Egypt.

Protests on the Gaza Border

After the 2014 war, protests on the border between Gaza and Israel became recurrent. Palestinians in Gaza, led by Hamas, protested against the Israeli blockade and withdrew the right of return for Palestinian refugees, in addition to not recognizing the State of Israel. These protests have resulted in frequent violent clashes with Israeli forces.

Hamas identifies itself as a movement for social justice, and has currently adopted a more radical approach in the conflict with Israel, resorting to actions such as attacks with explosives on cars, launching missiles towards the main Israeli cities and murders of Jews in areas where it operates. The Islamic group and its supporters accuse Israel of having expelled their ancestors from their lands, treating Palestinians with violence and restricting access to basic supplies.

They also argue that Israel, by building a wall around its territories, has created a situation that resembles a modern apartheid regime, characterized by segregation.Hamas, in addition to not considering Israel as a nation, also opposes the creation of two independent states, one for Palestine and the other for Israel, a solution highlighted by experts and world authorities as a possible peace agreement.

Israeli authorities have classified Hamas as a terrorist group and claim that they use the Palestinian population, including children, as protection during attacks. Furthermore, they claim that Hamas turned the territory into a terrorist base, establishing a climate of terror.

Normalization Agreements and Changes in the Region

In recent years, Israel has signed a bilateral standardization process with several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. These agreements, known as the Abraham Accords, drafted on August 13 and signed on September 15, 2020,changed the geopolitical landscape of the region and isolated Hamas from some of its former allies in the region.

Perspectives for the Future

The central issue of this conflict remains unresolved and the search for the creation of two states, where Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully side by side, is unlikely to occur, that is, after a decade of conflict and diplomatic stagnation, this solution seems increasingly distant.

International divisions among the Palestinians, such as Hamas controlled Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, also complicate any negotiation effort. Furthermore, the growing political polarization in Israel and the change in Palestinian political leadership create additional challenges for resolving the conflict.