Who really returned to square one?

Hamas’ external leader Khaled Mashal’s claim this week that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood reset Israel to “square one” has ignited controversy. Speaking at the seventh Kuala Lumpur Forum for Thought and Civilization, Mashal asserted that the operation “returned the occupation to square one and threatened its existence.”

Contrary to Mashal’s view, the aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023, presents a starkly different reality. This is not an exercise in personal critique or rhetorical flourish, but rather a reflection on the undeniable realities unfolding since last October.

The consequences have rippled far beyond Gaza, affecting the West Bank, historical Palestine, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, while even raising tensions with Iran. The specter of a wider Middle East conflict looms large.

Critics challenge Mashal’s assertion when the facts on the ground tell a different story. Israel’s military response has been unprecedented in its intensity, with the occupation expanding, casualties mounting and displacement continuing unabated.

The response is likely to minimize the price paid thus far and downplay the current toll, juxtaposing it against the purported “gains” for the Palestinian cause on the international stage. Proponents might argue that life in Gaza was already intolerable before Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, citing high unemployment, widespread child malnutrition due to the blockade and various social issues, including increasing drug abuse.

Critics challenge Mashal’s assertion when the facts on the ground tell a different story

Bakir Oweida

This narrative, though partly grounded in fact, is being leveraged to rationalize the catastrophic destruction in Gaza. However, such a justification is precisely where the contention lies with its advocates, be they political party leaders, movement figureheads or individuals.

After a year of these calamitous events, there are calls for Hamas and other Palestinian factions to move beyond justifying Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. They should instead rely on the long-standing justifications that have been cited since the occupation began 57 years ago.

Is it too much to ask these leaders, who courageously face the threat of assassination daily, to acknowledge a miscalculation in the planning of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack? Such an admission should not be seen as shameful. Even major world powers make mistakes and do not shy away from admitting them to their citizens, often pledging to make amends.

Moreover, abandoning stubborn political approaches, whether by Hamas or other Palestinian factions, is crucial for improving the Palestinian situation.

The harsh reality remains: Operation Al-Aqsa Flood has exacerbated the plight of Gazans and others, pushing them below zero, and thus enabling Israeli forces to operate unchecked from Gaza to the West Bank, and into the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, with no end in sight.

• Bakir Oweida is a Palestinian journalist who pursued a professional career in journalism in Libya in 1968, where he worked at Al-Haqiqa newspaper in Benghazi, then Al-Balagh and Al-Jihad in Tripoli. He has written for several Arab publications in Britain since 1978. He worked at Al-Arab newspaper, Al-Thadamun magazine and the international Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. He has also worked as a consultant at the online newspaper Elaph.

This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.