Hamas’s terrorism in Israel

PALESTINIAN terrorist group, Hamas, over the weekend launched a surprise and unprecedented attack on Israel. Its fighters breached border barriers and invaded Israeli communities, shooting everyone in sight with automatic weapons and abducting people, including women and children whom they outrageously put in cages.

Its fighters also fired over 5,000 Iranian-made rockets into Israel. Initial estimates showed that 900 Israelis were killed with more than 100 soldiers and unarmed civilians abducted by the Hamas militants. Israel has also mounted reprisal attacks on Gaza Strip, Hamas’s base, with over 400 deaths initially reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared war on Hamas.

Hamas’s assault on Israel came a day after the 50th anniversary of similar unprovoked, surprise attacks on the Jewish nation by Egypt and Syria which ended with Israel annexing the Golan Heights in Syria and the Sinai in Egypt. Hamas, which took control of Gaza strip in 2007, has fought several wars with Israel and majorly relies on firing rockets into Israel which always results in the destructive bombing of Gaza Strip.

Many analysts are shocked at the unprecedented failure of Israeli intelligence which made this humiliating attack possible. Israel has one of the most respected intelligence systems in the world, with its spy network, Mossad, embedded deeply among its enemy countries. Also, Shin Bet and the Israel Defence Forces, IDF, are deployed to maintain control over the Palestinian territories, including enforcing the land, sea and air blockades of Gaza Strip.

In recent years, Israel has been distracted as a result of divisive politics and regime instabilities. Also, the liberal offer of job opportunities to Palestinians obviously created the opportunity for Hamas to plant its agents in the same manner that Israeli Mossad operates. This laxity could give ideas to Israel’s other sworn enemies such as Iran, Hezbollah of Lebanon and Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey.

These countries and groups have already declared their full support for Hamas. So have the United States, United Kingdom and many Western countries thrown their weights behind Israel, their permanent ally in the Middle East. Indeed, America has moved one of its aircraft carriers closer to Israel, despite Erdogan’s warning for it to “keep off” the conflict.

The world must stand up and constructively manage this crisis. The Jewish state of Israel must curb its wrath on Gaza Strip and its 2.5 million inhabitants.

We do not believe that the Israeli-Palestinian problem can be settled with force. It is not only a historical conflict, it is also a religious one rooted in the faiths of the duo and those of their respective allies.

The two sides must learn to live together in peace while diplomatic efforts continue towards making the region liveable for all its inhabitants.