An act of terror

The large-scale armed attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, on Israel is an absolute act of terror, and deserves unequivocal condemnation. Hundreds of people have been killed, and an uncertain number of Israeli citizens, including women and children, have been held hostage. Certainly, the right-wing nationalist government of Israel, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, will not stop at condemnation. It has avowed mighty retaliation against Hamas, warning the Palestinian residents near Hamas sites in Gaza to evacuate before Israel strikes back with full force. In a nutshell, Netanyahu has declared a war that will “take time”. More disturbingly, the conflict is no longer limited to the two warring factions. It appears to have emerged as an unholy pivot for a larger drama that can rattle the entire Middle East for a long time to come. BBC has quoted Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas spokesman, saying that the group had a direct backing of Iran. Iran is more than concerned about the ongoing negotiations between the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel — aimed at facilitating mutual recognition between the latter two, which will create new power equations in the region. It may also be noted that Saudi-Arabia is bargaining hard with the US for developing a civil nuclear capability. This doesn’t go well with Iran. Meanwhile, the United States, whose enmity with Iran is well known, apart from expressing "rock solid and unwavering" support to Israel, warned "against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation". Against this backdrop, it might be wrong to see the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas as a binary confrontation. However, more than the geopolitical battles, it is the tragedy unfolding on the ground that merits attention. Hamas, an acronym for "Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya" (Islamic Resistance Movement in Arabic), is a Palestinian political and militant organisation. It was founded in 1987 during the First Intifada (Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation) in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Hamas was initially established as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, with the primary goal of resisting Israeli occupation and seeking the establishment of an Islamic state in historic Palestine. Despite its stated objective of ending Israel-inflicted atrocities on Palestinian soil, the methods deployed by the organisation remain widely contested — even in Palestine. Its recent onslaught against Israeli establishment and citizens justifies the “terror outfit” tag given by some of its rivals, including Israel. Ever since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2006, after winning legislative elections, it has been in regular conflict with Israel — sometimes being the provocative side, and some other times on the receiving end. In any case, the conflicts led to widespread public casualties and destruction. More than anyone else, it is the Palestinian people who have suffered the most. On December 27, 2008, Israel launched a 22-day military offensive in Gaza after Palestinians fired rockets at the southern Israeli town of Sderot. About 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed before a ceasefire was agreed upon. In 2014, the kidnap and killing of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas led to a seven-week war in which more than 2,100 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Gaza and 73 Israelis also died, 67 of them military. Just like there can be no justification for Israel’s excesses against Palestine, there should be no escape for Hamas for its recent terror acts. Ironically, Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif asserted that "we have decided to put an end to these Israeli offences with God's help, so the enemy understands that the time of wreaking havoc without being held accountable is over." In the first place, rather than putting an end to Israel’s offences, this blatant provocation is likely to put more Palestinian lives in peril. Secondly, there is no such God who will help warmongers in executing a nation’s citizens and assaulting the children and women. With its sovereignty compromised, it is hard to expect the Netanyahu-led government to stay silent. As Israel strikes back with full force, Hamas leaders may seek refuge in hideouts and operate the war from there, but there may not be any escape for ordinary citizens. If geopolitical rivals like the US and Iran fuel the fire instead of cooling things down, more bloodshed will be registered in their name. For what? A few geopolitical pivots!