Moderate Voices in Israel-Palestine Conflict Have Faded, Says Hanso
Neither side in the latest conflict engulfing Israel and Palestine has shown any signs of compromise and there is no end in sight, says Estonian foreign policy expert and politician Hannes Hanso.
Hanso told ERR radio today that the war in the region lasted eight days in 2012, 22 days in 2008 but has now broken the record and has lasted 24 days so far.
There are three fundamental questions to understanding the current war, he said, adding that the first concerns the two-state solution. He said the region is moving away from a solution of two independent states, an idea which has the backing of the international community.
“The second fundamentally important question is that there are 1.8 million people in the Gaza Strip, and a large section of them are refugees. What will happen to the millions of Palestine refugees who reside in the West Bank and Gaza, and in neighboring states of Jordan, Syria, and across the world?”
Israel may never recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and Hamas might never recognize the Israeli state, which Hanso said is the third fundamental question.
It seems no one in Israel is talking about peace, only military solutions, Hanso said, adding that Israel is worried that Hamas and Fatah are now cooperating, which makes Palestine stronger.
Hanso said Israel does not care what the United States, UN or other parties say about the conflict, and they will not end hostilities until they have reached their goal of destroying the secret tunnels.
Hamas also has failed to propose a compromise, he said, adding that no ceasefire agreement so far has held.