[bernb]

I can totally see how the settlements and politics of Israel in the westbank would prevent a viable Palestinian state.

I know less about Gaza (haven't been there to begin with), but my impression is that Gaza had much more freedom within it's borders. It's unfortunate that the people there voted for a terror organization back then that as their very first act murdered the opposition and has no interest at all to work for the benefit of the Palestinian people.

Recognition of borders by Hamas will obviously never happen, so as long as they rule in Gaza or might potentially rule in Gaza or the westbank in the future it would be way too much risk for Israel to expose their borders.

[spwa4]

I think everyone forgets just how much money Palestinians receive, effectively because of the war with Israel (or they wouldn't receive anywhere near this amount without that war). This guarantees the war continues. None of the states in the middle east around Israel are anywhere close to Palestine, economically. What Palestinians are receiving amounts to $1000/person (or $13000/person/yr) for nothing. That doesn't include payments from the middle eastern countries like Qatar, which reportedly are enough to make all Palestinian government leaders billionaires, as well as run both hamas and the PA.

If Palestinians needed to support their own economy, well, let's look at the neighboring countries:

Egypt: 3,457.46 GDP/capita/yr

Jordan: 4,455.51 GDP/capita/yr

Lebanon: 3,654.36 GDP/capita/yr

(This is NOT income, it's GDP, let's generously say average income would be half that)

So napkin math: peace with Israel would cost Palestinians 7/8th or 87.5% of the average income of a Palestinian. Well, let's say they wouldn't lose all aid. Let's say it would cost them 75% of their income. It would be a worse economic disaster for them than WW2 was in Europe. Frankly it's so much of a loss that I do actually kind of believe Israel's government also wants the war: the business they get from Palestinians is still between 15 and 20% of Israel's GDP and would entirely disappear if there was peace. But the incentive for war is far stronger for Palestinians.

Currently, despite everything, Palestine is ahead of Eastern Europe in economic development (by which I mean "go into a random apartment, what would you find?"). You would destroy that. Frankly, I find it hard to believe Palestinians would even match Egypt, Lebanon or Jordan in terms of economy any time soon.

I think if you asked Palestinians if they wanted war, victims and all, in trade for keeping what they have (as opposed to losing 75%), they would want war. Frankly, I'm pretty sure that's not exactly an exception. If, say, the French had the option to 4x their average income in trade for war, they'd start a war. No doubt in my mind about that.

[ethbr1]

You have to discount Gaza's economic development by needing to rebuild their infrastructure every few years and a complete blockade since 2007.

Why is there so much per capita aid to Gaza?

Because Israel prevents them from having a functioning economy.

Why does Israel prevent that?

Because then it would have to bargain with a stronger counterparty for an ultimate resolution.

Until Israel realizes that it either needs to (a) kill every man, woman, and child in Gaza or (b) grant them a functioning, independent state, the wheel will keep on turning. Israel represses and provokes Palestinians; Palestinians lash out; Israel cracks down militarily until international pressure forces them to stop; GOTO 10.

[bernb]

I don't think your provoking theory holds because before the massacre on 7th October, the situation between Gaza and Israel was improving. That's also why intelligence didn't think Hamas would start such a massacre.

Israel tends to eventually destroy infrastructure that's (dual-)used to increase Hamas terror infrastructure. Unfortunately, that's virtually all of existing infrastructure right now.

Why hasn't Gaza normalized it's relationship with Egypt? They have closed their borders to Gaza as well because Hamas is friends with Muslim brotherhood and apparently Egypt thinks a proper border with Gaza would do harm to Egypt.

[dunekid]

>Why hasn't Gaza normalized it's relationship with Egypt?

The border is controlled by Israel. Egypt US and Israel has a tripartite treaty to have Egypt act as a mere watchdog on the border. This border crossing is now controlled by Israel. The sea is controlled by Israel, and has fixed and detained any maritime peace activities, read the floatilla raid on Palestinian waters. Maybe we should be holding accountable those who call themselves to a democratic nation than a party in a small bombed out piece of land.

[spwa4]

It is NOW. For obvious reasons. Other than that: bullshit. The border was controlled by Egypt and Hamas from 2005 to 2021. Incidentally it was Egypt that closed the border, not Israel (after hamas decided to murder Egyptian army officers "because they were Jews", I might add, the incidents (plural) that wikipedia euphemistically describes as "escalation of cross-border incidents between Israel and Hamas". Cross-border is correct, but somehow it is not relevant to point out that it was hamas attacks in Egypt, and that it was Egyptian security forces that died. Oh and they probably weren't even anti-Israel attacks but an attempt to sabotage one of the attempts of the Egyptians to hold an election. That attempt was succesfull I might add (of course it's still the middle east and "it's complicated")

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafah_Border_Crossing#2005:_Is...