Israel shouldn't fear a stronger Palestine

After nearly two months of fighting, Israel and Hamas have agreed to an indefinite ceasefire. 

The conflict has claimed more than 2,200 lives, the vast majority Palestinians, and most of them civilians, including women and children.

One sad reality of the war was that Israel’s right to respond to Hamas rocket attacks became a “blank cheque” for an all-out assault that killed innocent victims huddling in schools and shelters. This explains the disproportionate loss of life. At the same time, all but four of the 79 Israelis killed in the war were soldiers. 

Judging from the physical destruction of Gaza, there was nothing “surgical” about Israeli’s military operation. It may have forced Gaza’s ruling Hamas regime to back down, but we are still a long way from a sustainable peace in this seemingly endless conflict.

More death and destruction would have been inevitable if the two sides had not accepted the ceasefire agreement, which was mediated by Egypt. Israel would likely have launched another ground war aimed at crippling Hamas’ infrastructure and secret tunnels into Israel.

Even if nothing else is accomplished, a halt to the bloodshed is a relief for all those caught up in the fighting, and especially for the people of Gaza, many of whom have been displaced from their homes.

There is a strong possibility that this latest truce will lead to an agreement that will improve the lives of Gazans. But for this to happen, Israel must relax its blockade of Gaza, which has turned this narrow strip of land into a virtual outdoor prison. 

Besides relaxing restrictions on trade and the movement of people, including opening the airport in Gaza, Israel could facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and construction materials. 

But with negotiations ongoing, the peace is still fragile peace and could easily be shattered if either of the warring parties decides to return to a military solution. 

One way to build on this ceasefire and give peace a stronger footing would be to revive negotiations for a two-state solution to Israel and Palestine’s decades-old conflict. 

Hamas earlier this year endorsed a Palestinian “unity government” under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, president of rival faction Fatah. But Israel and its key supporter, the United States, were reluctant to see the positive side of this Palestinian rapprochement. 

Instead of seeing Hamas’ endorsement of a unified Palestinian government as a move that strengthened the hand of Abbas – a leader with whom Israel is willing to deal – Israel chose to ignore the move.

In other words, Israel’s zero-sum mentality hurt Abbas’ chance of regaining a political foothold in Gaza. A stronger Abbas, politically speaking, could speed up the peace process between the two sides. 

But for Abbas to regain credibility in the eyes of all Palestinians, he must be able to point to real advances made for their cause. After all, that’s what really counts for Palestinians. One way to win that progress would be to secure a halt to the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which is ruled by Abbas’ Fatah organisation. 

Israel should realise that the more land they take from the Palestinians, the stronger Hamas will become. 

Using military force is one way of reducing political support for Hamas, but Israel could also try improving the lives of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This would mean lifting the blockade. A stronger Palestine does not necessarily mean a weaker Israel.