Hamas Is Ready for War with Israel

Gaza City, GAZA — The first thing you notice about Gaza: the donkeys. Attached to carts invariably driven by middle-aged men, they weave in and out of traffic, hauling fruits and vegetables through the city center.

Gaza still bears the scars of the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel. The 51-day conflict resulted in the deaths of 2,300 Gazans, with 10,000 others wounded; 66 Israeli soldiers and six Israeli civilians also lost their lives. Gaza’s infrastructure was decimated: A recent U.N. report stated that only 17 percent of the 18,000 homes destroyed during the conflict have been repaired, and an estimated 75,000 Gazans remain displaced.

Hamas struggles to cope with regional and internal challenges

Hamas is experiencing internal divisions and external threats as the organization struggles to adjust to rapidly shifting geopolitical dynamics in the region.

On July 1, Wilayat Sinai, a local affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) which used to be known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, orchestrated a string of attacks in the peninsula that left over 60 Egyptian soldiers dead. Israeli officials accused Hamas of cooperating with the group.