Two years on from the last round of armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, the border between the two is quiet, yet Gaza resembles a powder keg threatening to explode. For this reason and because policy options to significantly reduce the dangers of escalation exist, Gaza deserves greater international attention and prioritisation.

Since Islamist Hamas took over Gaza in a violent coup in 2007, the Strip has witnessed constant deterioration and instability. Hamas has alienated its neighbours, challenged the internationally recognised Palestinian governing body – the Palestinian Authority (PA) – isolated itself regionally and internationally, and provoked Israel by constant rocket-firing which resulted to three rounds of armed conflict. All the while Hamas prioritised its military build-up – reportedly using 20 per cent of its budget on military expansion including rockets and cross-border offensive tunnels –over the well-being of its citizens. The result: Gaza’s economy is in dire straits and infrastructure is collapsing. And while international reconstruction efforts are in place they are slow and inadequate.

Fixing these maladies is challenging for several reasons. International funds are lacking, the PA is reluctant to play an active role in Gaza, Egypt is profoundly hostile to Hamas and Israel is wary of Hamas’s belligerent intentions. Moreover, Hamas diverts some of the humanitarian reconstruction materials to its own military needs, and in recent years its extreme radical military wing has developed cooperation with ISIS in Sinai as well as with Iran.

Read the full article in the Telegraph.