On Saturday, Hamas launched a sudden attack on Israel, which quickly responded with rocket attacks on Gaza.
Thousands of people have died on both sides of the conflict – and now the violence is escalating.
Here you can ask your questions about the conflict directly to Aftonbladet’s foreign policy commentator Wolfgang Hansson.
How did Israel become a recognized state? Which countries decided and shipped Israelis in boats to Palestinian land?
??
It was a UN mandate that approved the establishment of a Jewish state in what was then Palestine. The problem was that there were already hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in the area. But the world thought more about the six million Jews who were exterminated during the Second World War. Since then, a large majority of the world’s countries have recognized Israel.
Does anyone know how many rockets armored vehicles ie military equipment Hamas has? and if they have some kind of nuclear weapon that can escalate the war?
Andrea
As far as I know, Hamas has no tanks or other heavy weapons. On the other hand, they are good at building rockets from materials that are smuggled into Gaza. Possibly also finished rockets nowadays. They have also gained access to drones and learned from Ukraine’s tactics against Russia.
Is the two-state solution the only solution?
sirwanbazirgan
At the moment, it is the only solution put forward by the international community or by the parties. The problem is that Israel does not trust a Palestinian state to refrain from attacking Israel. Therefore, they do not want to give up the West Bank, which is a must if it is to be possible to achieve a Palestinian state. Therefore, today there are many question marks about whether a two-state solution is possible.
How is it that the mass media usually writes that it is Hamas that terrorizes Israel, but does not use the same term when the Israeli military “defends” itself by sending rockets and other means to clear the people or the buildings inside the walls? There are ultimately two sides that are ruthless against civilians and innocents, but somehow there is always an advantage in how they choose their expressions when it comes to Israel..
M
Israel is a recognized state that has the right to protect its territory and its citizens. Hamas attacks the civilian population of Israel indiscriminately. It is a war crime under international law. Israel has the right to defend itself as long as the violence is proportionate. Israel is often criticized for taking too much and not avoiding hitting civilians. That will surely be the case this time as well.
Although understandably, Israel is now acting in fury. What could their end game be here? Will the Israelis, in a few weeks, also demand responsibility from Bibi?
Carina
Israel’s stated goal this time is to crush Hamas. It will be very difficult even if Israel sends ground troops. Hamas is well entrenched in tunnels and elsewhere. The risk is obvious of heavy Israeli losses. When the war is over, Netanyahu hangs loose because of the intelligence lapse that allowed Israel to be taken to bed by the Hamas attack.
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