Writing in Yedioth Ahronoth a few days ago, the Israeli analyst Alex Fishman depicted Hamas in vivid terms. The militant Islamist group was "behaving like a suicidal individual trying to drag Israel forcibly into armed conflict … believing [it] will be the one to determine the strength of the explosion," he said.
The conventional wisdom would seem to echo Fishman's view. Cut off from Egypt by the blockade imposed by the military government there, which has severed its financial lifeline, a weakened Hamas is not only isolated from many of its old backers, including Syria and Iran, but, the argument goes, would be weakened by a costly conflict after which it would struggle to re-arm.
Why then does Hamas seem determined to pursue a renewed and perhaps prolonged and bloody conflict?
"They feel like they have nothing to lose," says Mkhaimar Abusada, a political scientist at Al-Azhar University, who has studied the group. "Since the 2 June unity agreement the Palestinian Authority and Abu Mazen [President Mahmoud Abbas's nickname] have done nothing for Gaza and Hamas.
It was supposed to open the crossings [to Egypt], pay the salaries of their people, who have not been paid for months. They were expecting a visit from Abu Mazen, and he has not even called.
"They calculate there will be a new ceasefire and when it happens it will improve things for Hamas."
And in some respects that is exactly what Hamas wants: to fight a war for a ceasefire.
Note EU-Digest: Wishful thinking by Hamas: the residents of the Gaza strip finally will have to understand that if they have problems surviving it is because of Hamas. They hopefully will see Hamas for what it really is - a terrorist organization which has no intention to living up to any agreements it makes with any Government.
Read more: Hamas goes to war – for a ceasefire | World news | The Guardian
The conventional wisdom would seem to echo Fishman's view. Cut off from Egypt by the blockade imposed by the military government there, which has severed its financial lifeline, a weakened Hamas is not only isolated from many of its old backers, including Syria and Iran, but, the argument goes, would be weakened by a costly conflict after which it would struggle to re-arm.
Why then does Hamas seem determined to pursue a renewed and perhaps prolonged and bloody conflict?
"They feel like they have nothing to lose," says Mkhaimar Abusada, a political scientist at Al-Azhar University, who has studied the group. "Since the 2 June unity agreement the Palestinian Authority and Abu Mazen [President Mahmoud Abbas's nickname] have done nothing for Gaza and Hamas.
It was supposed to open the crossings [to Egypt], pay the salaries of their people, who have not been paid for months. They were expecting a visit from Abu Mazen, and he has not even called.
"They calculate there will be a new ceasefire and when it happens it will improve things for Hamas."
And in some respects that is exactly what Hamas wants: to fight a war for a ceasefire.
Note EU-Digest: Wishful thinking by Hamas: the residents of the Gaza strip finally will have to understand that if they have problems surviving it is because of Hamas. They hopefully will see Hamas for what it really is - a terrorist organization which has no intention to living up to any agreements it makes with any Government.
Read more: Hamas goes to war – for a ceasefire | World news | The Guardian
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