The two-state solution being touted as the be-all end-all of the most intractable of long-running conflicts sounds eminently sensible but is also tainted by a high degree of wishful thinking and, as it were, detached from reality.

The war in Gaza now threatening to infect Lebanon has brought a formidable army of experienced and wise diplomats the the fore whose deductive reasoning, properly grounded in pragmatism, points to the inevitability of a two-state solution. This would see a minuscule Palestinian state emerge comprising two distinct rumps: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with fragments of Israel sandwiched in between.

Whilst recognising that such a solution would, in an ideal world, be somewhat feasible, the reality on the ground dictates otherwise. Thus, the concept becomes an exercise in day-dreaming, if not futility, reserved to those far away from the fighting and suffering.

At the core of all that is amiss in the region sits a fact ignored, wilfully or otherwise, by all but a select few pundits: most of Israel’s foes, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Iran, refuse to acknowledge the Jewish state’s right to exist. These implacable enemies have repeatedly vowed to destroy Israel and eject its people from the region.

The proposed two-state solution would be akin to having a neighbour determined to take over your home and expel you from the neighbourhood, using whatever violent means at his disposal.

Blessed Peacemakers?

Though peacemakers may be blessed, Hamas never accepted the recognition Yasser Arafat extended Israel in 1993, responding with a wave of suicide attacks to any peace initiative undertaken by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). After a few initial breakthroughs, he subsequent talks at Camp David  went nowhere and Mr Arafat los his one chance at becoming the Palestinian ‘Mandela’.

Intifadas followed with much blood letting and misery. Just when a precarious calm seemed to descend as fighting shifted to Syria and Yemen, and former foes established diplomatic relations with Israel, October 7 happened. This was the Hamas way of reminding the world of its continued existence and resolve.

For months on end diplomats have been shuttling between the capitals of the Middle East to broker a ceasefire. It is an almost impossible task. Israel, understandably a land of long memories, recalls the Egypt-brokered ceasefire of 2008 which prompted then-Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan to quip that “the only reason to accept a temporary cessation of hostilities is that it allows us to better prepare for the final battle. Israel cannot continue to exist; it is offensive to God.”

Mr Rayyan perished a few months later when his home, transformed into a munitions dump, was struck by an Israeli missile and exploded rather spectacularly. Eleven of Mr Rayyan’s twelve children also died in the attack.

Hamas leaders do not usually show the least concern for the lives or the well-being of their charges. The death toll of its struggle is celebrated rather than deplored. Hamas terrorist fighters have few qualms and use civilians as human shields This was evidenced by numerous reports during the 2014 Gaza War.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay accused Hamas of violating international humanitarian law by “locating rockets within schools and hospitals, or even launching these rockets from densely populated areas.” The UN also found that Hamas had placed weapon caches inside schools run by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) from where it also launched rocket attacks.

Cowering Underground

In the present war, Hamas fighters have cowered in tunnels under hospitals, apartment condos, schools, and other civilian buildings from where they only emerge to express anger and indignation at their targeting by Israeli forces.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that his government is determined to eradicate Hamas once and for all. However, in pursuit of that objective he lost track of the human suffering imposed on ordinary Palestinians who are held hostage by the terrorists and have, quite literally, nowhere to go or hide.

Hamas has the power, but not the will, to end hostilities today. However, the group promises to fight until there are no Palestinians left in Gaza. In the West, people are rightfully upset at the rising civilian death toll and demand Israel be sanctioned. Their anger, understandable as it may be, is directed at the wrong culprit. Indignation is better channeled to the terrorist organisation that started this war and has kept it going regardless the lives lost and the suffering imposed.

If Hamas possessed a shred of humanity, it would recognise the damage its action have wrought and embrace compromise as a more sensible way to attain a better life for the Palestinian people. 

There is, however, a narrow path out of this unholiest of quagmires. Instead of pursuing an impossible two-state solution – essentially rewarding Hamas for the October 7 massacre with a state of its own – regional powers could be mobilised to govern the Gaza Strip, help with the rebuilding of essential services, and maintain the peace. The UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are likely candidates.

Invite

In such a setup there is little room for the United Nations which has a deplorable track record in the volatile region as both a peacekeeper and an administrator of trusts. Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates government revealed that it is considering an invitation from the Palestinian Authority to help establish a single and legitimate administration in Gaza and the West Bank.

The idea is for the UAE to dispatch a high-level mission of administrators and law enforcement personnel who would help a new Palestinian government deal with the humanitarian crisis and kickstart reconstruction. However, Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed warned that any Palestinian authority his country assists must ensure full transparency and adhere to the highest governance standards.

Minister Bin Zayed has held talks with numerous officials to hammer out the details of this benign intervention. He also emphasised that Hamas cannot be part of the solution and expressed reservations about the current leadership of the Fatah Movement (the largest faction in the multiparty PLO)  that runs the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank. Moreover, the UAE will want to act jointly with other regional powers and the United States.

Such an approach would fall well short of a two-state solution, but could represent shape the embryo of a serious, effective, and non-corrupt Palestinian administration which actually manages to get (and keep) a grip on developments and place an effective check on extremist groups, such as Hamas, that insist on continuing their fight.

Meanwhile, the Western power that express such concern for the plight of the Palestinian people gain a serious interlocutor and may proceed to cough up the untold billions needed to rebuild Gaza. The advantage of having the UAE, and others such as Egypt and Turkey, involved in setting up a proper Palestinian government is that these countries have recognised the legitimacy and sovereignty of the Jewish State. Qatar remains a fence sitter, allowing direct flights and visits by Israeli citizens but stopping short of extending full diplomatic recognition. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia are likely to offer full recognition once a semblance of calm has been restored.

Without regional leadership, a credible pathway to a two-state solution is inconceivable. Israelis and Palestinians are both gripped by fear and distrust of the other. That can only change with the passage of time – a very long time. During that time, both sides need to engage to reestablish a modicum of trust. Outlandish as that may seem at present, it is possible to achieve if Palestinians, with the help of others, at long last start shaping their own future, as opposed to depriving others of theirs.

Cover photo: The ruins of a water tower in Gaza, flattened during an air strike.

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© 2023 Photo by WAFA/Batoul84