The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East has escalated again in recent days, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced that they have successfully seized Hamas's "senior zone" in central Gaza, which is the military-political core of Hamas. The action sparked a backlash from Hamas and caused the international community to worry about the prospects for peace in the region.
Hamas is an Islamic militant group in Palestine that advocates the elimination of Israel by force and the creation of a Palestinian state "from the river to the sea". Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and has repeatedly erupted in armed conflict with Israel.
In October this year, Hamas stepped up its rocket attacks on Israel, threatening many parts of Israel. On October 21, Hamas fired dozens of rockets into Tel Aviv and surrounding areas, one of which broke through Israel's Iron Dome air defense system and hit the parking lot of the Ivim residential area, causing damage to people and property.
This series of provocations has angered Israel and led Israel to decide to launch a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip with the aim of destroying Hamas's rocket launch bases and command centers, eliminating Hamas militants and restoring security to Israel.
Among Israel's military operations, the most striking was the successful takeover of the "senior district" of Hamas by the IDF in the heart of Gaza. This area is the military-political headquarters of Hamas and includes the residences, offices, meeting rooms, and a network of tunnels connecting the various locations of Hamas's leaders and senior leaders. This area is considered the "heart" of Hamas and the main target of Israeli attacks.
Through precise intelligence and tactics, the IDF managed to break through Hamas's defenses and enter the "advanced zone". After confirming that there were no civilians, the Israeli army carried out an orderly destruction of the "high-level zone", destroyed Hamas's chain of command and its arsenal, and arrested some important Hamas members, dealing a heavy blow to Hamas.
After the seizure of the "high-level zone", the IDF did not stop its military operations, but continued to advance into the southern Gaza Strip, clearing the remnants of Hamas militants in an attempt to eliminate the threat of Hamas once and for all.
In the face of a powerful Israeli offensive, there has been a marked shift in Hamas's attitude. Over the past few days, Hamas's political leaders have held talks with other Palestinian political factions, including Fatah, a longtime rival to Hamas, on post-war governance of Gaza and the West Bank. This means that Hamas may have abandoned its extreme political claims and is willing to cooperate with other Palestinian forces in the search for a peaceful solution.
However, serious divisions have emerged between Hamas's political leadership and its military commanders in Gaza. Hamas's military commander, Yahya Sinwar, was reportedly unaware of the negotiations with the political leadership and, as soon as he learned of it, immediately demanded that the negotiations be halted, considering it a betrayal of Hamas. This reflects the existence of deep contradictions within Hamas, which may affect its future direction.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been accompanied by an escalation of the situation in the Red Sea region. Recently, unidentified militants attacked a number of merchant ships in the Red Sea, threatening the security of cargo in the region. Some analysts believe that this may be an action taken by Hamas supporters in retaliation against Israel, or it may be a chaos created by other regional forces in order to expand their influence.
In this context, Israeli Defense Minister Hanegbi said that Israel could accept the post-war plan proposed by the United States to run Gaza by the Palestinian Authority, provided that "fundamental reforms" are carried out to guarantee that Gaza will no longer become a base for Hamas. This indicates that Israel has softened its attitude on the issue of the ownership of governance after the war, which may create conditions for peace negotiations.
The international community has expressed great concern over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the development of the situation in the Red Sea, and has called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid further violence. On the international front, a multinational coalition has been formed to maintain the security of cargo in the Red Sea and prevent the spread of war in the region.
China's spokesperson said that China supports the maintenance of international waterway security, opposes attacks and harassment of civilian vessels, and calls on all parties to respect international law and resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation. China is willing to play a positive role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Israel's seizure of Hamas's "high-level zone" has triggered a regional crisis and raised international concerns about the prospects for peace in the region. The development of regional conflicts and the positions of all parties on the issue of post-war governance will have a direct impact on peace and stability in the Middle East. On the issue of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, all parties need to remain calm and rational and work together to achieve peace and prosperity in the region.