The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestine took effect last Wednesday, bringing an end to more than one week of cross-border conflicts that claimed hundreds of lives. However, the ceasefire does not mean reconciliation or settlement of problems.
People feel relieved about the ceasefire but still worried about that the two sides may return to armed conflict at any time. The prospect remains not optimistic as tensions may escalate between the two sides that are filled with hatred towards each other.
The Israeli election, Hamas’ rash moves and some other factors triggered the recent conflicts, but the fundamental cause is that the peace talk has been at a standstill for long. The two sides have different stances on such issues as boundary, security, return of Palestinian refugees, distribution of water resources and status of Jerusalem.
In such a context, Israel and Palestine are bound to focus on security issues in reality, which only depends on fragile balance. Due to lack of long-term political goals, the two sides can be easily provoked into armed conflicts. They will be in a standoff shortly after achieving certain immediate political goals.
Turmoil in West Asia and North Africa has greatly changed the political ecology of the Middle East. The Palestinian-Israeli issue appears not to be the focus of attention in the region, but it actually remains an extremely sensitive issue that can affect the overall situation of the Middle East.
Bullet train attendants receive trainings in China's Shenyang
Feedback
RSS
