CMEP Bulletin: Violence in Gaza and Southern Israel Comes With New Alliances
weekly update from Churches for Middle East Peace
Th situation in Gaza
Violence flared up in Gaza and southern Israel this week as Israeli forces killed four Palestinian militants and injured nine others while over 70 rockets fired from Gaza injured three Thai workers in Israel. This tragic violence comes at a time when the regional landscape is changing, leaving many to wonder about what comes next.
Since its founding in 1987 as a branch of the Egyptian Muslim brotherhood, it has operated as an armed resistance group opposed to Israel. After contesting and winning parliamentary elections in the West Bank in 2006, it took over Gaza by force 2007 when the election results were not implemented. Its rockets into Israel led to Operation Cast Lead by Israeli forces in 2008-2009 that left 1,400 Palestinians and nine Israelis dead in three weeks. Hamas now faces the challenge of trying to balance its armed resistance credentials and its political survival.