No war in living memory has stirred up such anger, fear andloathing as the long-running Israel–Palestine conflict, and peace in the regionhas never seemed further away. The 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel hadfar-reaching and potentially devastating consequences for the Middle East andfor the world. As the war has expanded to take in other players in the area,the future of Israel as a regional superpower is now in doubt and the chancesof all-out war between Israel and its neighbours have become much greater. This essential work looks at the background to theHamas–Israel war and asks whether the international system can contain two simultaneouswars in Europe and the Levant. It examines the wars that preceded this one, therise of Hamas and the roles Hezbollah, Iran and Syria play in the conflict. Paul Moorcraft considers the war’s impact on Israeli society, the economy andthe Israel Defense Forces, while also looking at how media and propaganda shapeour view of the war and how the conflict affects the whole region’srelationships with the west. Here, Moorcraft brings all perspectives together in anexpert and balanced analysis, examining the potential outcomes of the war andarguing that the two-state solution should be revived. Peace has never lookedmore impossible – but the alternative, a forever war, is even more impossible.
