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Israel and Hamas' lose-lose situation

The current escalation in the Gaza Strip could have been avoided had Israel truly agreed to the two-state solution, thus nullifying the political force of Hamas and its desire to hurt Israel at any cost.
An explosion is seen in the northern Gaza Strip after an Israeli air strike July 13, 2014. Israeli naval commandos clashed with Hamas militants in a raid on the coast of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, in what appeared to be the first ground assault of a six-day Israeli offensive on the territory aimed at stopping Palestinian rocket fire. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3YCA0
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Why is the Hamas leadership determined to engage in a war that it has as much chance of winning as a fly has against an elephant? To really understand what its leaders are thinking, it helps to know the Arabic term "mumanaa," which freely translates as a "no win-no win situation." For years, the strategy of Hamas (and of Hezbollah, for that matter) hasn’t been based on achieving a Palestinian victory. Rather, it is focused on preventing Israel from winning.

For this mumanaa to be complete, Hamas takes care to maintain a residual military capacity, which will allow it to have the last word, and prevent Israel from gaining a decisive victory. In other words, the movement’s leaders will do everything within their power to ensure that Gaza fires off the last rockets before a cease-fire is declared. If Israel decides to invade Gaza, Hamas will force it to engage in grueling skirmishes in densely populated areas, in what can best be defined as a mini “war of attrition.” After all, Hamas is fully aware that a single photo of an Israeli soldier’s funeral is worth more than a thousand words about “victory.”

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