Israel’s aggression can only lead to a further cycle of violence in Gaza

Arabic writers ask what Benjamin Netanyahu's intentions are, and whether another intifada is imminent.

Israel, once again, is committing folly by launching an attack on the unarmed people of Gaza during Ramadan, the Cairo-based newspaper Al Ahram wrote in an editorial yesterday.

The attack, the largest since 2012, started on Tuesday and has since killed dozens of Palestinians and wounded hundreds of others, including innocent children.

Israel’s aggression will only lead to violent reactions from Palestinians, destroy any chance of a peaceful resolution and plunge the region into a full-scale cycle of violence, the editorial said, adding that Israel’s approach of collective punishment could spark a third intifada after three years of peace talks.

The current situation in Gaza is essentially “a war of panic” in which the Palestinian resistance is so far doing well, argued Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor of the online news website Rai Al Youm.

The resistance’s rockets have reached Tel Aviv, Haifa and occupied Jerusalem, a tunnel near the Karam Abu Salem border crossing was bombed and there was an attempt at landing on Ashkelon beach to raid an Israeli naval base .

Despite his threats, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asking mediators to reach a settlement. Meanwhile, the people of Gaza are seeking to end a painful Arab blockade and live with dignity.

Palestinian resistance movements do not have strong armies, nuclear weapons, Merkava tanks or cruise missiles, and so they will not inflict a heavy defeat on Israel. Any victory is going to be “relative”. All Israeli prime ministers have unsuccessfully tried to defeat the Gaza Strip, which is only 388 square kilometres, and stop the resistance launching rockets.

Mr Netanyahu’s threats of a ground war will not panic Gazans. They have fought such wars before and are bracing for more in the future because as long as there is occupation, there is war, he said.

The current conflict is a “finger-biting war” and Gazans’ endurance is stronger than that of the Israelis, who will in all likelihood seek mediation, as they did in 2012 and 2009.

Bater Mohammed Ali Wardem argued in the Jordan-based newspaper Addustour that Israel does not need excuses to wage its wars, but for propaganda purposes, it is always useful to have an excuse.

Now, no one is asking about the kidnappers of Israeli settlers because what matters is for Israel to prove its military might and wreak havoc in Gaza. Tel Aviv has no clear goals for the current hostility. Stopping Gaza-launched missiles is an absurd goal considering that Hamas had not fired a single missile for over a year. This calm could have remained longer but Israel saw no political benefit in it.

However, no military operation – be it air, sea or ground – can incapacitate Hamas from firing rockets at the heart of Israel. What Tel Aviv may achieve is to cause huge damage to infrastructure and many casualties as a form of collective punishment, emboldened by a lack of Arab and regional support for Palestinians.

The official response of Palestinian leaders to the Israeli offensive is frustrating. Despite reaching an agreement with Hamas on a national unity government, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is still acting as a “mediator” between Israel and Hamas.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian people, as always, are paying the price of Israel’s lust for destruction coupled with the weakness of Arab and Palestinian stances, the writer concluded.

Areeb Al Rantawi commented in Addustoor that the take of many American politicians on the Palestinian issue reveals a paradox. They keep repeating that the use of violence will bring Palestinians no good, yet when Palestinians resort to non-violent means to achieve their legitimate rights, the US officials say that there are more urgent conflicts to be dealt with.

The Palestinian people can lean towards calm and non-violence as long as there is an opportunity to reclaim their rights by peaceful means. But things will spiral out of control once a spark is triggered or a dramatic development occurs. As such, the 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir almost played the role of Tunisia’s Mohammed Bouazizi’s whose self-immolation in protest against injustice and brutality set the entire region ablaze.

Israel’s routine hostilities and settlement activity, along with a lack of prospect for a political resolution and a crippling economic crisis, could develop into a far-reaching uprising.

The PA will not always be able to contain people’s anger. In fact, Palestinians might one day fly in the face of their authority to protest its overall policy and its security coordination with Israel, Al Rantawi wrote.

Translated by Abdelhafid Ezzouitini