Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu has announced that the war in Gaza will continue until victory is achieved. Netanyahu’s message has prompted the global community to assume that the Israel-Hamas conflict shall go on. Tel Aviv has further hinted that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) would soon launch a ground attack on the northern part of Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallan has informed the press that his country wants to create a new era in Gaza after three rounds of war with the Palestinian Hamas Movement.

Although Israel is yet to disclose its plan about the formation of the proposed new era, Tel Aviv has hinted that Hamas would not exist in Gaza in the coming days. During a meeting of the Parliament’s Foreign and Defence Committee on October 20, Gallan stressed that it might take time to destroy the infrastructure of the terrorist organisation Hamas in Gaza. Israel wants to create a new era there by defeating Hamas, he added. According to the minister, this new era is necessary for Israel’s internal security.

After Israel’s repulse in Gaza, the global community has speculated that Israel could retake control of the Palestinian territory after 2005. However, Israeli Defence Minister Gallant dismissed the speculation, stating that they had no plan to interfere in the daily life of Gaza, as their only aim was to free the Gaza Strip from Hamas.

From Gaza To West Bank
The current conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas Movement is going to spread beyond the Gaza Strip to the West Bank as the Israeli Air Force carried out an aerial attack on a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank on October 19. The Palestinian Authority (PA) claimed that at least 12 people perished in the incident. Many fear that the West Bank, a region that has been quiet since October 7, is all set to become the third battlefield of the ongoing conflict.

Although Palestinians live in both the places, there are many differences between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. While Gaza is a narrow strip of land on the Mediterranean Sea, the West Bank is much wider in comparison. However, the biggest disparity between Gaza and the West Bank is their internal politics, rather than geography. The Hamas Movement has established absolute authority in Gaza since 2007. On the other hand, the PA is in power in the West Bank. Most of the Western countries recognise the PA as the sole representative organisation of the Palestinians. Officially, Mahmoud Abbas (b. November 15, 1935, also known by the kunya Abu Mazen) is the President of the State of Palestine. Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, virtually isolating Abbas’ Fatah Party. However, Fatah retains control of the West Bank.

Importantly, Israel has played a crucial role in this regard. Tel Aviv has long maintained its influence in the West Bank, although it has failed to control Gaza. Israel occupied the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Due to diplomatic pressure from home and abroad, Tel Aviv was forced to give up the control of Gaza, despite occupying the West Bank. Experts are of the opinion that Israel’s Palestine Policy underwent major changes after the formation of Hamas in the 1980s. Tel Aviv began to rely on a policy of ‘divide and rule‘, somewhat like British colonialism. It became active in maintaining the political balance between Fatah and Hamas.

According to experts, the main aim of the Jewish nation was to limit the power of the two anti-Israel elements. Hamas has continued to gain popularity among Palestinians since peace talks between Yasser Arafat‘s Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Israel failed in 2000. Arafat’s successor Abbas has been ruling the West Bank from Ramallah with the help of Israel for the last two decades. However, Fatah was virtually wiped out from Gaza.

Abbas is in favour of maintaining the status quo as far as Palestine-Israel relations are concerned. Interestingly, a section of Fatah feels that the party should get out of Israel’s control in the current crisis situation. This section wants a reassessment of relations with Tel Aviv. Countries that have diplomatic relations with Palestine maintain contact with Ramallah. It may be noted that the US spoke to President Abbas after the Gaza hospital attack, as Washington DC considers Hamas as a terrorist outfit.

Meanwhile, Hamas has not only waged wars against Israel, but also made an attempt to improve the socio-political condition of Gaza. It wants to overthrow the State of Israel through war. Hamas also wants Fatah and Israeli Forces out of the West Bank. After the Israeli offensive in Gaza following the Hamas rocket attacks in Israel on October 7, many fear that the West Bank will become the third battlefield after Gaza and Lebanon. On the other hand, Abbas has hinted at maintaining a distance with the US, keeping in mind Palestinian sentiments. However, it is not yet clear whether the ongoing conflict could bring the West Bank and Gaza closer.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das