KUALA LUMPUR: ENTERING its seventh week, Israel's attacks on Palestine show no sign of abating.
This is despite continuous pressure from countries, including Malaysia, for an immediate ceasefire to the daily attacks which have reportedly claimed some 13,000 lives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, is adamant that he would only stop once all of Hamas fighters, including those situated outside of Gaza, are dead.
The New Straits Times speaks to International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation assistant professor Dr Ahmad El-Muhammady, as well as geostrategist and Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Azmi Hassan, for their views on the situation and what the future holds for Palestine.
WHAT ISRAEL WANTS FROM GAZA
Netanyahu had, last Friday, told the United States' National Public Radio that Israel was committed to three things in Gaza: destroying Hamas, freeing Israeli hostages and giving Gaza a different future.
Following Hamas' Oct 7 attack on Israel, the latter is adamant that Hamas should no longer be allowed to continue ruling Gaza and they wanted to maintain "overall military responsibility" in Gaza.
Ahmad, however, believed that there were three strategic reasons why Israel would want to take over Gaza.
"First, they want to neutralise Hamas' infrastructure and to ensure Gaza is not used as a staging point to attack Israel in the future.
"Second, there is a possible economic reason or availability of natural resources, such as oil and gas, in the occupied territories of Gaza that could be economically valuable (for Israel).
"Lastly, to restore Netanyahu's government and political image that were shattered following the Oct 7 attack on Israeli's public," said Ahmad, who is also the head of the Islamic Civilisation and Jewish Studies Group.
NETANYAHU'S MAP OF ISRAEL
Netanyahu's map, which he presented at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, could paint a clearer picture of his ambitions.
Ahmad believed that the map, named "The New Middle East", was a deliberate act to show Netanyahu's confidence that all Arab countries in the region would recognise Israel as a sovereign state when the normalisation policy is adopted.
"The map clearly erased the name Palestine.
"For Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, this means Palestine will be dead forever should normalisation (relations with Israel and Arab nations) really happen.
"That is the main reason why Hamas initiated the Oct 7 attacks, to prevent normalisation by Saudi Arabia in 2024 and put the Palestinian struggle back on the table.
"Hamas has achieved both objectives by now," he said, adding that the "extraordinary measures were for extraordinary situations."
Azmi said the map did not represent the vision of the majority of Israelis, but rather that of Netanyahu and his extremist cabinet members, who wish for a non-existent Palestine.
"The majority of Israelis believe there can be a two-state solution of Israel and Palestine.
"Only the extreme right, such as the Netanyahu government, do not want a two-state solution but a single state of Israel."
THE FUTURE OF GAZA
Questions swirl over the future of Gaza if Israel achieves its goal of crushing Hamas.
Ahmad, however, believed that Netanyahu had no definitive idea of what the future might hold for Gaza.
"This is a very sensitive issue that involves opinions from different regional and international powers, such as the US and regional countries like Egypt and Jordan."
Azmi said Israel would have no choice but to have the Palestinian Authority, which is deemed to be less hostile, to rule Gaza.
"What Netanyahu and the US have in mind after this is that Israel would control the security of Gaza as what transpired pre-2005 before they moved out from Gaza.
"The idea that is being floated around the most is the Palestinian Authority, which currently governs the West Bank.
"That is the choice of the Americans at least. I am not sure what Israel's choice is, but I think that is the best choice that they have.
"The Palestinian Authority is more docile, more tame, compared with Hamas. What is happening in the West Bank is proof of that.
"I think that's the kind of government that Israel and the US want to govern Gaza post-Hamas."
Azmi, however, believed that Palestinians would not accept the idea.
"Hamas' ideology is to have a one-state solution and I think the majority of the Gaza people still support Hamas's ideology.
"I don't think that the Palestinian Authority will be accepted by the people in Gaza.
"They lost in 2006 and nothing has changed up until now."
A CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT IN GAZA?
Netanyahu, in a recent interview, said that there was a need for a civilian government in Gaza, although he declined to say who he believed it would be.
"I think I know who it can't be — it can't be people committed to funding terrorism and inculcating terrorism," Netanyahu was quoted as saying.
Ahmad, however, believed that a civilian government would involve an authority that has no military wings to attack Israel.
"Hamas has this wing — the al-Qassam Brigade — but Israel will not accept this because they consider them a terrorist organisation.
"I believe Israel envisions a government like the Palestinian Authority because they are friendly and they have already fostered a working relationship.
"The Palestinian Authority has given up the clause in its charter to "fight against Israel" and instead has "recognised Israel as a state"," he said.
CAN ISRAEL DESTROY HAMAS?
Ahmad believed that while Israel was capable of destroying Hamas's infrastructure and military capabilities, its ideology is not something that can be easily curbed unless addressed at its root cause.
"Hamas is more than just an organisation. It is an ideology in people's minds and it is an aspiration of some Palestinians.
"Ideology is difficult to destroy and it has to be dealt with differently.
"It has to address the root cause that caused the symptoms such as injustice, occupation and the creation of their homeland," he said.
Azmi believed that Hamas still wields significant influence in Gaza.
"Hamas is not a physical entity. It is an ideology and the majority of the people of Gaza people support Hamas.
"This was seen in the 2005 election where Fatah lost heavily to Hamas in that general election in Gaza."
