"How long will Israel's war with Hamas last?
Israel's war with Hamas has been going on for four weeks now.
'The fate of the bombed Gaza Strip hangs in the balance. – If right-wing voices and the voices of settlement communities gain sufficient support, I am afraid that the scenario of Israel taking over the Gaza Strip may be realized'
– says the expert.
What would have to happen for the war between Israel and Hamas to simply end?
'Sticking strictly to the definition of war, the war will probably end in the next few weeks.
This will happen after the Israeli leaders, under the influence of internal factors, the pressure of their society on the one hand, the pressure of the international community, in particular the United States, on the other, and looking and assessing the military results of the operation, come to the conclusion that they have achieved their goal - i.e., they destroyed the military structures of Hamas.
But the aftershocks of this
Middle East earthquake will be felt for a long time?
'The conflict has been going on for over 100 years, having fully begun in the 1920s with larger waves of Jewish settlement in Palestine during the British Mandate.
It is an ethnoreligious conflict,
but in fact it is a territorial dispute between Israel, which gained statehood in 1948, and the other side, which has not yet obtained the full mandate of all international players, although the structures of a Palestinian state have been in operation since the end of the 20th century'.
Will Palestine finally become a state recognized by the international community?
'This is the most troubling question.
It seems to me that such a trend may occur, although it will not mean that the Palestinian Authority will become a state in the full sense of the word.
For this, recognition by the international community is not enough, but also, above all, control over one's own territory, and this is a huge problem.
The Palestinian Authority controls small enclaves - approximately 224 enclaves, between which communication is controlled by the State of Israel.
The Palestinian Authority does not exercise sovereign control over its territory, which is a condition for statehood.
For Palestinians, what is more important is how the political processes in Palestine will unfold'.
And how will they turn out?
'The Gaza Strip is the largest and most populous Palestinian-controlled territory.
Power there was seized by Hamas, which rules there and creates the structures of a quasi-authoritarian state, violating all opposition and freedom of speech.
Possible political changes within the Palestinian Authority, Gaza, and within Palestinian society are one of the most important factors that will influence the trajectory of changes in Palestine'.
Will Israel take over the Gaza Strip?
'Such voices appear.
There is a fairly strong group of extremists in the Israeli government which want to completely eliminate the Palestinian presence in the areas between the Mediterranean Sea and Israel'.
Politicians like to say different things. Whether this will happen is another matter.
'This is one of the most important questions when it comes to this conflict.
Will there be consent from the Israeli political center or will there be resistance?
Will the resistance from the US be only verbal, or will it result in political decisions that reduce the level of support for Israel if it decides to take over the Gaza Strip, which will be an action in violation of international law?
It all depends on the political balance in Israel.
If right-wing voices and the voices of the settler communities gain sufficient support, I am afraid that the scenario of taking over the Gaza Strip may be realized.
In my opinion, however, this would be extremely unfavorable for the prospects of building a peace solution in the area of Palestine and Israel'.
And for Israel's image in the international arena, especially in the US?
'To put it simply, we can say that this would be met with considerable condemnation on the part of the Democrats,
while a large part of the Republicans would accept it with understanding.
America is still an ally of Israel,
but at the same time there is a slow change in the distribution of sympathy.
On one hand, there is a growing awareness of the fate of the Palestinians,
and on the other hand, there is also a growing number of Americans with Arab roots or simply from Muslim countries.
Let us remember that the Palestinian issue is a topic not only in Arab countries, but in a much larger group of Muslim countries'."
The rest in the link from my country's MSM.
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Wojna Izraela z Hamasem trwa już cztery tygodnie. Ważą się losy bombardowanej Strefy Gazy. – Jeżeli głosy prawicowe, głosy środowisk osadniczych zyskają wystarczające poparcie, to obawiam się, że scenariusz zagarnięcia Strefy Gazy przez Izrael może być realizowany – mówi w rozmowie z Onetem dr...
wiadomosci.onet.pl
press conference/Q&A
www.timesofisrael.com
