Question

Hamas has held political power for Palestinians since 2006. Hamas has said it is open to peace talks if Israel removed itself and lifts restrictions on all Palestinian territories. Why is Israel so reluctant to do this? Why might Israel be hesitant to trust Hamas?

Answer 1

Violence within the borders of Mandatory Palestine between Israelis and Arabs led to an all-out civil war in 1947. This civil war ended with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. However, the internal conflict remains until nowadays due to the distress caused by the Sykes-Pykot Agreement, which was a secret arrangement between Britain and France to control the area known as Israel nowadays.

Arab groups such as Hamas, which are considered as terrorists by the Israelis, devote themselves to fighting off the Israelis and expelling them from a territory that they believe is legitimately theirs. These groups intentions are the main reason of the distrust by the Israelis, as they won't stop until completely expelling the Israelis from the Middle East.