On the 7th of October, 2023 the Hamas leader, Ismael Haniyeh, made a press release. His words: “Today, the enemy has had a political, military, intelligence, security and moral defeat inflicted upon it, and we shall crown it, with the grace of God, with a crushing defeat that will expel it from our lands, our holy city of Al-Quds, our Al-Aqsa Mosque…”

The media release marked the commencement of the 9th Hamas-Israel war since 2008. Also, Hamas’ Media Adviser, Taher El-Nounou, on November 11, 2023, said, “I hope that the state of war with Israel will become permanent on all the borders….”

This part of the article explores Hamas’ political rule of Gaza, and the Hamas-Israel wars from 2008. The frequency of the conflicts and how easily they begin, is a cause for worry, and an emphasis on the dire need for external interventions to propose a lasting peace between the regions, and as soon as possible. This is because most of the ceasefires witnessed in these wars, were negotiated by external interventions. If they could achieve temporal cease fire, then they can be instrumental to a more permanent cease fire.

Hamas’ Political Rule of Gaza

The name, Hamas, is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, which translates to Islamic Resistance Movement. The aim of the group is to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic State. The Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by Israel, the US, EU and the UK. Hamas fought several wars with Israel, but this intensified from 2007, when it took political control of the Gaza strip. The history of Hamas’ political control of Gaza is traceable to the cease fire in 2005.

Following Israel’s ceding of Gaza to Palestine, as part of the cease fire negotiations in 2005, Gaza became known as the second Palestinian territory, the first being the West Bank. Hamas won elections in Gaza in 2006, defeating the US-backed main Palestinian Party. The United States, the United Kingdom, Russia and the European Union, sent in a congratulatory message to Hamas for its victory, and pledged their support of the new government if Hamas commits to non-violence, the recognition of Israel and the acceptance of the agreements and obligations accepted by the Palestinian main party. Hamas rejected these conditions on the basis that it will endanger the well-being of Palestinians.

The Palestinian authority thereafter formed an alliance with Israel, the UK, the US, Spain, the EU, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey, with the intention to substitute the Hamas with a government that is more acceptable to the international community and to Israel mid-2007. On the other hand, the Hamas allied with Iran and Syria, and started a pre-emptive war to foil the plans of the Palestinian main party. This led to the Fatah-Hamas conflict, which resulted in complete take-over of the Gaza strip by Hamas, and the seizure of all weapons on 15th June 2007. The Hamas thereafter expelled Palestinian authority from Gaza. It has maintained a strong hold on Gaza since then, and refused to conduct elections in Gaza.

The Gaza war of 2008-2009

Subsequent to Hamas’ conquest of the Gaza, Israel and Egypt partially sealed their borders with Gaza. This imposed a blockade on the territory, prohibiting exports from the region, and allowing only enough imports of goods to avert humanitarian and health crisis. As a result, Hamas fired periodic rockets and mortars into Southern Israel. By 19th June, 2008, Hamas had fired 1,199 rockets and 1,072 mortars into Southern Israel.  Israel reciprocated and fired rockets into Gaza.

On 19th June 2008, Egypt negotiated a 6-month cease fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Israel also began to ease on its blockage of Gaza. However, on 4th November 2008, Israel raided Gaza, killing 6 Hamas militants and collapsing a tunnel the Israeli claimed was to be used to invade Israeli soldiers posted 250 meters from the tunnel. Hamas responded with a barrage of rocket attacks at Southern Israel. On 20th December, Hamas announced that it will not renew the truce between itself and Israel. On 27th December 2008, Israel commenced the Operation Case Lead, which is an organised ground and air assault against military and police targets in Gaza.

Hamas responded with a barrage of rocket and mortar attacks, but targeted civilian dwellings in Southern Israel. The Israeli politicians decided that a continued war will lead to increased civilian deaths and increased international concerns. It therefore announced a unilateral ceasefire and withdrew from Gaza on 18th January 2009. Twelve hours later, Hamas announced a one-week ceasefire. The Israeli Defence Forces completely withdrew from Gaza on 21st January 2009, marking the end of the Gaza war, 2008-2009.

Subsequent Hamas-Israeli Wars

Whereas the Gaza war of 2008-2009 was the first of the Hamas-Israeli wars, it was not the last. There was the 2012 Israeli Operation in Gaza Strip, which was an eight-day war from the 14th of November 2012, and which resulted in the killing of Ahmed Jabari, the Chief of the Gaza military wing. There was also the 2014 Gaza war which was caused by the kidnaping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in West Bank by Hamas-affiliated Palestinian militants.

Israel launched the Operation Brother’s Keeper, leading to the arrest of about 350 Palestinians (which was nearly all active Hamas militants in the West Bank). Hamas fired rockets into Israel and this marked the beginning of a seven-week long war from 8th July 2014, which was the deadliest open war between Hamas and Israel, leading to the death of over 2000 people.

It is important to note that there were intermittent rockets fired into Israel by Hamas and vice versa. From 1st January 2016 till 9th January 2017, there were series of casualties recorded as a result of the Hamas-Israeli conflict. However, there was no major war as a result.

In November 2018, there was another war, when a botched Israeli covert operation resulted in the death of seven Palestinian militants in Gaza and one Israeli soldier. This resulted in a 2-day war until peace was negotiated by Egypt. There was also the 2-day war of November 2019, when Israeli Defence Forces killed Baha Abu al-Ata, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad Commander in Gaza, and attempted the killing of Akram al-Ajouri, another senior PIJ commander in Syria. The PIJ responded with rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, injuring several civilians. Israel retaliated with airstrikes and artillery shelling in Gaza, which led to the deaths and injury of several militants and civilians alike.

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To be continued…