Gaza, Hamas And Palestine

A brief non-partisan in-depth analysis

In the last days the media machine has restarted at maximun speed.

In this chaos of statements, opinions, news (both true and false) and propaganda many concepts have meaning and foundation, but most are are opinions that want to give predictions based on nothing or that it is too early to predict.

The situation is intrisically complex and the historical moment we are experiencing makes it even more complex and difficult to interpret.

Here it is better, perhaps, instead of risking hypotheses and assessments that are not very credible, to try to analyze the factors in this matter, in order to have a more realistic and clear vision.

Let’s start with the Gaza Strip. Named Strip for a reason, it is a rectangle of territory 41 km long and 6 to 12 km wide. for an area of approximatly 360 km² with a population of 1 million and 700 thousand inhabitants, making it one of th most densely populated areas int he world.

It is, basically, a large fence full of people, with only 5 exit gates, all controlled by the Israelis, except for one in the hand of the Egyptians (to whom that strip of land belonged).

Gaza overlooks the Meditteranean Sea and has a port, but as one can imagine, the cost is guarded by the Israeli Navy. The largest city is Gaza City, which is also considered the moral capital of the Palestinian State. Only this city has 600 thousand inhabitants, who are those to whom the Israeli Government, to premise of a possible attack, in the last couple of days has imposed an evacuation ultimatum toward the south of the Strip. Pratically without, all those people are leaving the city by foot.

From 1948 to 1966 Gaza was under the control of the Egypt, which lost it following the defeat of the “6 day war” suffered by Israel, which then occupied the the Strip until 1994, the year which gradually passed to the State of Palestine. However Israel remained in control of the airspace, territorial waters, maritime offshore access, registry office population, the entry of foreigners, imports and exports and the system tax.

In fact, the UN considers the Strip as an “occupied territory” and not as an area free and autonomous.

The first free presidential and legislative elections were held in 1996, and they saw the success of Arafat and his “Fatah” movement. Arafat’s power lasted until 2004, the year of his death.

It is possible to affirm that this controversial figure in Palestinian history was not a good administrator, if not of his own personal asset which, according to the Service Israeli Mossad Information, amounted to more than a billion dollars, while fot the Magazine Forbes “only” 300 millions.

The subsequent elections in 2006 were narrowly won by Hamas movement, especially for the votes receveid from the Strip, while the contender “Fatah” was stronger in the West Bank, another territory of the State of Palestine. An armed conflict between the two movements followed and continued for a few years and had alternating phases, until the affirmation of Hamas, almost completely in the Gaza Strip, but not in the West Bank. That’s why, depending on the reaction that the West Bank will have in face of the probable invasion from Israel in the Gaza Strip.

• How is Hamas financed?

Hamas is a Islamic — Palestinian organization that has a political — military arm, the al-Qassam Brigade, which is the one that led the attack on the 7 October 2023, with the brutality against Israeli civilians and the political — social wing Dawa, which controls many mosques school, health facilities and welfare associations in Gaza.

Hamas has several sources of funding both private and institutional and some are truly surprising.

One of the main financiers is Iran and it is been for several years now. The US State Department estimated a flow/year of around 100 million dollars from Teheran to the Strip. The motivations are ideological, in consideration of the common atavistic hatred towards Israel, but also strategic.

Hamas like the Lebanese Hezbollah, is an excellent and effective partner of destabilization in the area, capable of undermining any process detente between the Arab and Jewish components.

Just like in this period, in which the agreement that Saudi Arabia and Israel were about to sign, was interrupted.

Qatar, Sudan, the Gulf countries and others support Hamas and there is the suspicion that it does so even Turkey, which however does not consider it a terrorist movement. A further financing route is that of International Organizations, such as the European Union which, thinking of supporting humanitarian works, gives hundred of Euros to Gaza, which instead end up in the coffers of Hamas.

Juat in these days, the EU has blocked the sending of 691 million euros, making it conditional on the cessation of fighting. And here it comes the bitterness.

A distracted and superficial European Union, which always seems to travel in tow and which it fails to to take on a leading role, always remaining one step behind the events.

Finally the state of Palestine.

It could be defined as a non state state, because it truly is unique in its kind and is the result of that hypocrisy that sometimes grips the Internation Community, leading it to pretend to identify defined and definitive solution for many areas of crisis, with the results we know (just like Kosovo and Bosnia).

In territorial terms, the State of Palestine theoretically consists of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Three entities that do not enjoy territorial continuity, because they are interspersed by Israel. This aspect is already very significant.

There is a President who is currently Mahboud Abbas and also a prime minister, Mohmmad Shtayyed. The State of Palestine is part of the Arab League and also the Olympic Committee International, as well as other International Organization, includin the largest in the world.

In fact, the UN recognizes it, but only as a “non-member State with Permanent Observer Status”. The European Union, like most of its Member States, also entertains diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine, even if they do not officially recognize it.

I’d like to consider one last thing. The State-non State of Palestine, if recognized, would be approximately 6 thousand km², with a population of crica 5 million of inhabitants, therefore just a speck on the beach of the globe, shows that a division is being confirmed clear cut of the world in two parts, which are opposing each other on everything. On the one hand, the Western World, under the self elected guidance of the United States, which has imposed its own world politics for decades, but which is now struggling trying not to lose its power, o the other an increasingly large group of nations, quick, enterprising and led from emerging economies, which no longer inted to submit to a hegemony that it no longer wants to recognize.

If this two parties do not find the necessary meeting points, even on issues such as the Palestinian — Israeli one, the comparison between them could increasingly take on the tone of clash, with the consequences, unfortunately, easily imaginable.

There would be much more to say, for the situation is very complex, but for today I’d like to end here, with a brief history and some facts about the current situation.

We will see if Israel attack, putting the State in possible danger from the North, where Hezbollah is just waiting for Israel to enter Gaza, according to the most basic military tactics.

We will see what the Palestinians do, because for now it appears that the inhabitants of the non-state of Palestine are not with Hamas.

We will see the US and the West, with the manifestions held in their state by people raving for Hamas. Many of those manifestating know very little of story of those lands, especially those who are neither of Palestian’s lineage nor Israeli’s.

We will see Russia and its allies, with Putin who today said he is willing to help end this war.