An age-old conflict, the Israel-Palestine situation has been one of controversial nature and global interest for years now. The ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization, created a cycle of bloodshed that has been hurting both its regions now. This provides a comprehensive overview of the developments happening with this conflict in current times, key events and underlying causes & implications for the future.
The Israel-Palestine conflict has its roots in the early 20th century, after the British mandate on Palestinian territory. The contrary national demands of Jews and Arabs in the region provided a suitable seedbed for protracted contest. Arab hostility towards Israel worsened with the 1948 establishment of the Jewish state, sparking a series of Arab-Israeli wars which left Palestinians homeless and forced to live in refugee camps.
By August 2024, the Israeli-Hamas conflict spiralled into a major war that caused large-scale loss of life and destruction. The immediate jump-off point for this latest step-up in violence was a series of rocket attacks carried out by Hamas from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. It followed with Israeli warplanes carrying out strikes on Hamas infrastructure — including weapons storage facilities, command centres and tunnels — in an apparent response to rocket fire.
The Gaza Strip, ruled by Hamas for years, is a critical element in the conflict. The organisation is classified as a terrorist group by the USA, EU and others. Hamas’ stated goal is to create an Islamist state in historic Palestine — Israel plus the territories. In the past, Hamas has used strategies such as rocket attacks, suicide bombings as well as tunnel warfare to reach their goals.
Given their relentless aggression, Israel’s reaction to Hamas was swift and unequivocal. Using sophisticated military equipment, including GPS-guided bombs, the IDF destroyed Hamas targets. But the intensity of the strikes has left scores of Palestinian civilians dead and infrastructure damaged or destroyed in Gaza, further adding to its humanitarian emergency.
Civilians, particularly in Gaza, have paid a heavy war since the conflict began. The densely populated neighbourhood has been under constant attack, which led to a critical scarcity of food, water and medical supplies. The international community has voiced alarm about the humanitarian situation, urging ceasefires to provide aid for affected populations.
The tension has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians, many who are living in crowded shelters. Hundreds have died in the fighting, and even more lost their homes, while whole neighbourhoods were razed to rubble as civilians endured a deprivation of essential services. Gaza is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster if we see another complete bloodbath.
The global community responded to the last upsurge with condemnation and appeals for calm. Many countries have called on the conflict sides to stop fighting and negotiate peace. Israel’s closest ally, the United States, has again expressed support for Israel while also voicing concern about civilian casualties.
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in ceasefire negotiations, with the mediation of several international parties such as Egypt and Qatar. But they have only met with mixed success so far, as both sides are still entrenched in their respective positions. A fundamental lack of trust and high levels of entrenched animosity make it nearly impossible for diplomats to foster any lasting peace between the two sides.
With the conflict between Israel and Palestine, there is no end to this fight in sight, and unfortunately, things have only gotten increasingly worse. Israel and Hamas have shown no willingness to compromise on the ultimate sticking points, leaving a long-term agreement as nothing more than fantasy.
It will not replace the two-state solution, which entails a Palestinian state created alongside Israel to resolve long-standing claims of conflict. However, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, divided Palestinian territories and violent clashes have reduced the possibility of this solution.
Diplomacy is playing a vital role in the international stance towards the crisis. More diplomacy accompanied by humanitarian assistance could ease the plight of civilians and create an opening for talks to resume. Without such sincere engagement between both sides to have a genuine dialogue, prospects for peace remain bleak.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a problem with zero easy solutions that has been going on since the dawn of time. The increased violence has only underscored the seemingly endemic nature of the conflict. Given that neither side is willing to give in, unfortunately, this cycle of violence probably will not either until a meaningful casualty results and the people of this region continue its appalling injury. The international community, including Sri Lanka’s neighbours and democracies near and far, must continue to push for peace in the country and aid in any way possible to achieve an enduring settlement of this protracted struggle.
