Foreign Affairs: Is War in Gaza Unavoidable?

War in Gaza seemed possible this summer after Israel went along with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s request to cut electricity for 2 million Gazans living under Hamas rule. As Ghaith al-Omari and Grant Rumley observe in a recent article for Foreign Affairs: “Abbas hoped to pressure Hamas into relinquishing control over the strip, which was plunged into darkness as the cornered faction faced pressure from Israel and Abbas on one side and Egypt on the other. It seemed only a matter of time before Hamas lashed out.” Help arrived from an unlikely source. Exiled PA leader Muhammad Dahlan arranged for an emergency fuel shipment to the Gaza Strip via the Egyptian government. Although the fuel agreement might hold in the near future, it’s clear that Hamas officials have little in common with Dahlan other than “to ameliorate the hardships of life in Gaza and thwart their mutual rival, Abbas, in the West Bank.” Once circumstances change – whether through the availability of alternative energy sources or Abbas relinquishing control of the presidency – both sides will have little incentive to maintain the status quo. The writers conclude, “War with Israel may have been delayed, but conflict within Gaza seems inevitable.” – YaleGlobal