The MED This Week newsletter provides expert analysis and informed insights on the most significant developments in the MENA region, bringing together unique opinions on the topic and reliable foresight on future scenarios. Today, we focus on the recent Israeli-Hamas “mutual and unconditional” ceasefire, signed amid international pressure to stop the fierce fighting that caused widespread destruction in Gaza and halted much of Israel’s daily life in less than two weeks.
After 11 days of fighting, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Egypt and the UN on May 21st. Both Hamas and Israel claimed victory in the escalation, which caused the death of 12 people in Israel and 232 Palestinians, mainly in Gaza. Despite the positive early signs, the ceasefire remains fragile, while the precarious situation on the ground could lead to another crisis shortly. On the domestic fronts, the escalation has culminated in a complex political scenario, with Israel struggling to form a new government and Palestinians dealing with the recent postponement of the elections. Against this backdrop, the escalation revealed the growing frustration among the Arab citizens of Israel, as well as their increasing commitment to the Palestinian cause. At the same time, it has brought to light the different levels of engagement (and the resulting fault lines) among the international community’s commitment to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
Experts from the ISPI MED network react to the consequences of the recent escalation of violence between between Israel and Hamas.
