For a short while it seemed that for once that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was almost fading away from Middle Eastern political centre stage. This illusive calm has had a harsh awakening yesterday in a series of deadly attacks which claimed the lives of 8 Israelis and injuring scores. This was one of the bloodiest 24 hours in this conflict for a long while.
The Israeli Government claimed the attack was planned and executed by the Gaza Strip based 'Popular Resistance Committees', a dissident group of militants who oppose negotiations with Israel or even Haams' ceasefire. The usually tranquil area of the tourist resort of Eilat was hit first by attacks on passing vehicles on the road to the town followed by today's rockets attacks on Israeli town close to the border with Gaza in the south of Israel. If the barrage of rockets is something the Israelis are more familiar with, the ability of militants to cross from Gaza into Sinai through smuggling tunnels, travel around 120 miles and hit targets with such deadly result hasn't happened for a long while represents a dangerous escalation. It is very unlikely that Israel will be satisfied by the fact that the militants involved in the attacked were all killed as were those who planned it.
However, these events should probably be an awakening call for both those who believe in a peaceful solution in the Israeli Palestinian solution, but lost their way in reaching such an agreement, and for those who in power who wrongly believe that time is on their side and delaying tactics in making painful compromises would serve their interests . Reality is that every day that goes by without making progress towards a just and viable peace based on two state solution - Israel and Palestine - is a victory for those who would like to prolong conflict and oppose peaceful solution by force or by destructive unilateral policies and actions.
It is six years since Israel removed its settlements in Gaza but never really left it. While not many would contest the need to remove settlements in order to reach genuine peace, acting without co-ordinating with the Palestinian leadership proved to be counter-productive and damaging. Expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank is an example of unilateral action in complete disregard to how it damages any peace negotiations let alone peace agreement. Unilateralism seems to be infectious and the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank is in a frenzy to guarantee international support in a Palestinian state when one is declared sometime in September, giving little thought to how it is going to actually create the desire reality.
The Middle East is in its most unstable phases ever going through a popular struggle for rights and justice. Israel, which endures her own popular protest against social and economic injustices, isn't immune to the consequences in the changes in her immediate international environment. One of them, as was proven in the unfortunate events yesterday, its border with Egypt is not as secure as it used to be and the Egyptians became less inclined and less capable to prevent terrorist attacks originated from its territory.
While the next few days might bring more unfortunate bloodshed in another cycle of violence, the real solution lies in a concerted international effort and in the mobilization of all the local forces who believe in peaceful solution to go back to the negotiations table and discuss all the outstanding issues including mutual recognition security, borders, Jerusalem and refuges reaching a courageous conclusion.