Last week, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in a conflict that claimed nearly 250 lives. But the underlying status quo makes another round of fighting all but inevitable, and a fundamental solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seems further away than ever.
Worse, the long-running American solution for the problem a US-mediated peace process aimed at creating a “two-state solution,” with an independent Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank existing alongside Israel has proven to be a dismal failure.
Israel has become more and more entrenched in the West Bank, building new Jewish settlements that make it increasingly difficult to imagine a viable Palestinian state on that land. Meanwhile, the Palestinian leadership remains deeply divided: The militant group Hamas controls Gaza, while Fatah, a secular nationalist political party, nominally administers the West Bank through the Palestinian Authority (with Israel still ultimately in control).
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May. 25, 2021 5:59 AM
Although the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is being carefully observed, the calm in the Gaza Strip is far from stable. The agreement, reached with American backing and Egyptian mediation, gave hardly any details on further arrangements, sufficing at the first stage with a promise of quiet in exchange for quiet.
But we’re left with potential detonators that could trigger a new conflagration, even if this wouldn’t seem in the immediate interest of Israel or Hamas. These potential sparks concern how Israel might react to future hostile acts from the Strip, the closure of the Gaza crossings and the tensions in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Palestinian artist Etaf al-Najili tries to fix all things broken in Gaza with her paintbrush
5 hours ago
Niloufar Saleem,
Civilians share their stories of horror and grief as the deadly days of violence in Gaza finally gave them a breather.
After 11 violent days in Gaza, a ceasefire was announced giving civilians some time to gather themselves back.
Palestinian artist Etaf al-Najili took this opportunity of the ceasefire that was announced to use the broken walls of Gaza as her canvas.
The young and beautiful artist paints the Al-Aqsa Mosque s Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem on a damaged building in Gaza City.
Verängstigt und traumatisiert - die Kinder von Gaza euronews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from euronews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.