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Israel-Hamas war: Fallout beyond Gaza
Among other things, US attention could be deflected away from the Indo-Pacific.
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Palestinians searching for casualties under rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Oct 13.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Jean-Loup Samaan
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Day by day, the repercussions of the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel last Saturday
Beyond the gruesome assault, Hamas has already achieved one goal: hijacking the Palestinian cause and accelerating the weakening of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA). The legitimacy of the 87-year-old Palestinian leader has eroded over the years, and Hamas has made no secret of its desire to replace him. Its high-signature terror attacks are aimed at just that – pushing Hamas to the forefront of the struggle against Israel, thus making the PA more irrelevant. By doing so, however, the militant organisation has all but ended any hope for a resumption of the peace process.
