This will not end well for both sides and potentially the world.
This situation is complex and interwoven with politics, religions, personalities and history - who was here first?
I will not go into the history of the creation of the State of Israel on the former lands of the Palestinian territory. What is essentially it meant was that the Palestinians loss their lands and they continue to lose their land to the illegal action of the right wing Israeli settlers.
The
State of Israel is a
Jewish state. This means that Palestinian Arabs, Palestinian Christians and other groups living in Israel, they technically have the same rights as an Israeli Jew.
Hamas is a terrorist organization, based in the Gaza, and is sponsored by Iran who provides it with funds and material and from private donors and expatriates. Its calls for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic society in historic Palestine.
I am not a political scientist but I have been deployed to this region before and I have observed both sides and how they interact with each other. The
barrier walls were built as a reaction to the knifing and bombings by the Palestinians during the
second intifada. The walls were meant to keep the Israeli Jews safe and confine the Palestinians to their cities, towns, territory. What this meant to the Palestinians was a severe restriction to their freedom of movement, freedom of press and ability to earn a living (economy) being highly restricted and regulated by the Israeli State. In short - under the constant thumb and surveillance of the Isralei governemnt. The walls have also prevent ordinary Jews and Palestinians from daily contact and interacting with each other. I was talking to a Jewish physiotherapist who told me that before the barriers came up, the Jews would frequent Bethlehem, a Palestinian town, for sales in the markets and their would sort of get along and understand each other. Now Jews normally can't enter this town and Palestinians are restricted in this town unless they have a legal reason to leave the enclosed city.
Both sides are fighting for their right to exist in this world. Both sides believe that they are right and have God on their side. The hatred between the hard liners in both groups are visceral and rooted in religious beliefs, racism, frustration - why can't they leave us alone, anxiety - will they attack us?, and so forth. There is a strong desire for peace by the ordinary people on both sides, but .... at the same time they cannot co-exist like this.
Another wild card is the hard right fundamental American Christians who want to see the second coming of Christ and are actively funding the Israelis, who accept this funding with condescending bemusement. The Christians believe that the current situation will lead to having the Book of Revelations come true and thus bring forth a new dawn of Christianity with Jesus.
I won't go into what I have seened and experienced in this world. I have seen the good (humanity) and the bad (literally just evil) from both sides.
I don't know why Hamas is doing and commiting actrocites but I know that the Israelis will swiftly retatiate and they will hit hard. They will put even more pressure on the Palestinians - repression. I am afraid that the repression of Palestinians will force the neighbouring Arab Islamic countries to act, which in turn will pressure the Western countries to further support Israel. Thus the cycle of violence and hatre continues and will escalate to heighten international tensions and then possibily a potential international conflict in this region.