XII. A Palestinian Authority Divided, Israeli Assaults on Gaza, and Peace Process Setbacks

Electoral victories by Hamas at the ballot box, and the rejection of those results by the United States, Europe, and Fatah, ultimately lead to the establishment of a Fatah-run Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and a Hamas-run PA in the Gaza Strip. Efforts to reconcile the two movements end in failure. Israel besieges the Gaza Strip and launches three military assaults against the latter over a six-year span; Palestinians suffer huge casualties and loss of infrastructure, but Israel does not derive any political or strategic gains from its assaults. US initiatives for the resumption of Palestinian–Israeli negotiations are rendered counter-productive by Israel’s ongoing settlement activity.