People on the Gaza border have endured another terrifying night of sirens and rockets. More than 200 rockets were fired by Hamas into Israel since midnight in what was the most significant escalation along the southern border since Operation Protective Edge. Yesterday evening, residents of the Western Negev city of Sderot experienced a barrage Hamas rocket fire.
One of those rockets exploded near a large playground in Sderot, while dozens of children were playing there. Imagine spending a peaceful afternoon with your child, playing in the park and thinking about what you should have for dinner, and a moment after having to run for your life. This is not a theoretical exercise for the residents on the Gaza border, this is just normal life. The sad truth is, this has become routine. A round of fighting every few years followed by a ceasefire that lasts at best a few years, and at worst, a few hours. How did we reach this point and how will this cycle of fighting end?
Anyone who seeks a peaceful solution to this conflict must recognise Hamas’ responsibility in this situation. Hamas is a militant organisation that clearly has no issue with firing indiscriminately into a civilian population. For the sake of preserving its control over the strip, it is more than willing to put Gazans at risk and to use schools, kindergartens, mosques and even hospitals as places to store, manufacture and launch rockets at Israel. For Hamas, the short-term political gain outweighs the livelihood and safety of Palestinians in Gaza.
But it would also be wrong to suggest that Israel has no control over the situation. The Israeli security establishment has been warning the Israeli government for years that the crisis in Gaza puts Israel at risk. The miserable situation strengthens Hamas’ political hold by creating an ideal environment for militant extremism to flourish. That’s why senior security figures have made it clear that improving living conditions in the strip and talking to Hamas are crucial steps for Israel’s own safety and security. These are people who have dedicated their lives to keep Israel and Israelis safe and secure. Anyone who supports the IDF and respects the expertise of its most senior officials must ask themselves why the Israeli government has been ignoring their warnings.
Israel has only two options: It can either ‘destroy Hamas’, as Netanyahu threatened in his 2009 election campaign, or it can talk to them. No one credible thinks that destroying Hamas is a viable option.
It seems that Netanyahu prefers to have Hamas rule over Gaza rather than the Palestinian Authorit. It’s better for his own political survival if Gaza is ruled by a terror organisation and not a more reasonable organisation that he may be forced to negotiate with.
The truth is there is no military solution and both sides know that this round of violence can only end with an agreement - most likely one which is identical to the one that is currently on offer. The question now is how much blood will be spilled to get there. A far-sighted leadership would pursue an agreement now.
Maya Ilany is the deputy director of Yachad, an organisation that seeks to build support in the Anglo-Jewish community for a political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
