Palestinian Provocation Immediately After Netanyahu's Coalition Formation Failure
Hamas Faces Sharp Decline in Support Amid Indefinite Postponement of General Election
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Middle East is heating up again as more than 20 people have died and hundreds have been injured in armed clashes between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
On the surface, the main cause is cited as religious and ethnic conflicts triggered in the holy city of Jerusalem during Ramadan, the largest Islamic holiday. However, there is also an analysis that the underlying cause is a strategic clash aimed at strengthening the political positions of the Benjamin Netanyahu administration, which is struggling to regain power, and Hamas, whose support base has also rapidly shrunk.
According to foreign media including the AP on the 10th (local time), Hamas announced that it launched more than 100 rocket attacks targeting Jerusalem and southern regions of Israel on that day. Hamas emphasized that the attacks were "retaliation for the Israeli military and police violently suppressing peaceful protests by Palestinian residents and Muslim worshippers in Jerusalem."
Israeli authorities immediately carried out retaliatory airstrikes in response to Hamas's rocket attacks. The Israeli Air Force announced that it bombed areas in the Gaza Strip on that day. According to Hamas, more than 20 people, including nine children, were killed in the Israeli airstrikes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in a statement, "The red line has been crossed. We will retaliate with strong force," adding, "Anyone who attacks us will pay a heavy price."
This armed clash is superficially interpreted as an accidental conflict triggered by extremist Jewish groups pushing ahead with provocative events against Muslims during Ramadan, the largest Islamic holiday. On that day, Jewish groups held the so-called "Jerusalem Day" commemorative event, celebrating Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. They marched around the Old City, including Islamic holy sites, shouting provocative slogans such as "Drive out the Palestinians."
In response, tens of thousands of Palestinian residents and Muslim worshippers gathered in the holy city of Jerusalem during Ramadan, which began on the 13th of last month, and clashes between the two sides escalated into violent protests. Israeli authorities closed Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, where Muslims mainly gather, and violently suppressed the protests, resulting in about 300 injuries and dozens of arrests.
However, some interpret this clash not as an accidental conflict but as a deliberate confrontation initiated for political purposes. Both Netanyahu’s administration, which recently failed to form a coalition government, and Hamas, which failed to respond effectively to the COVID-19 crisis, needed a breakthrough through external conflict.
According to CNN, on the 4th, the Likud Party led by Prime Minister Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government by the midnight deadline. Subsequently, the Israeli court decided to evict Palestinian refugees from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem amid concerns of severe backlash. Israeli authorities also approved the Jerusalem Day rally, which further fueled Palestinian opposition.
Hamas has also lost significant popularity amid prolonged COVID-19 and economic hardships. According to the Times of Israel, on the 30th of last month, Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), announced an indefinite postponement of the general election scheduled for May. The official reason was that Israel would not allow voting in East Jerusalem, but the Times of Israel reported that in reality, Hamas did not proceed because its own polls showed support levels much lower than expected.
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