Hamas-Israel Conflicts In Gaza And Its Implications For Middle East Stability

Abstract

The Middle East has been marked by significant volatility since the post-World War II era, witnessing over ten wars between the Arabs and Israelis alone from 1948 to 2023. Thus, this study focuses on the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza and its implications for Middle East stability. The study is methodologically structured in qualitative method whereby data are drawn from secondary sources. Several major conflicts, including Operation Cast Lead (2008), Southern Israel Cross-Border Attacks (August 2011), Operation Return Echo (March 2012), Operation Pillar of Defence (November 2012), and Operation “Swords of Iron” (2023), are used as case studies in this work due to their strategic significance and decisive impacts on the affected nations and the broader Middle East region. This study argues that the unfolding wars involving Hamas and Israel have profound repercussions across the region, particularly for Egypt and Jordan, which have historically been key peacemakers with Israel. Furthermore, the humanitarian crisis and Israeli military actions have raised concerns about mass displacement, further straining Israel’s relations with other Arab countries and even in Europe, where the Palestinian issue resonates deeply. Lastly, this short war has exacerbated the already fragile state of peace in the Middle East.