Very quietly, under the radar, Israel and Hamas have reached an unwritten agreement for coexistence. This is the first time since the Hamas movement was founded in December 1987 that such a system of understandings and arrangements has existed. The system is based on common interests, and through this, each party in practice accepts the existence and presence of the other. Although there is no official recognition, de facto recognition exists.

Since the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the all-out war the Egyptian army declared against the Rafah tunnels, Israel has paradoxically become an ally in propping up and sustaining the Hamas regime. This alliance has created active, direct and indirect channels of communication between Hamas and Israel. These channels, most of which were established during the lengthy negotiations for the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, now make it possible to coordinate a variety of civilian and military matters alike.

It is clear to Hamas that the opening of the crossing points between Israel and Gaza and the continued delivery of daily supplies to the Gaza Strip is maintained thanks to quiet along the border and is conditional upon it. Hamas is also aware that any violation or escalation by it or any other recalcitrant group in Gaza will cause the crossing points to be closed, which means distress for Gazans and pressure by them on the Hamas government.

In recent years, after Israel’s imposition of a blockade against the Gaza Strip after Hamas' violent takeover of the government in June 2007, the extensive Rafah tunnel system had served as an alternative trade route, through which almost anything could be brought in inexpensively from Egypt to the markets in Gaza — everything from fire arms and ammunition, food, cattle, fuel and construction materials to luxury items, such as cars, televisions, computers, cellular phones and more. Even brides were smuggled through the tunnels, but all that is over now.