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Gaza Strip

The resolution of the ongoing dispute about the Gaza Strip and West Bank—often referred to as the Palestinian Territories—will likely depend on the outcome of peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. As the future of the Palestinian people arguably rests on what happens after peace becomes a reality, RAND has focused on and recommended policies for economic and infrastructure development in a post-peace era.

Commentary
The Real Tragedy of Israel's Wars in Gaza
Israel's strategy in Gaza of repeatedly cutting back Hamas's military capabilities before it gets strong enough to do Israel any serious harm is known as “mowing the grass.” Unfortunately this approach offers no alternative to continued bloodshed.
Jun 22, 2021
Blog
COVID-19 and the Economy, America's Blood Supply, 10 Years of the ACA: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on COVID-19 and the economy, strengthening the U.S. blood supply, 10 years of the Affordable Care Act, and more.
Mar 27, 2020
Periodical
RAND Review: March-April 2019
This issue explores resilience and adaptation strategies researchers can pursue to address the impacts of climate change; security challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the speed at which technology is transforming society; and more.
Mar 4, 2019
Report
How to Solve the Water Crisis in Gaza
Gaza has long had water and sanitation challenges, but today it's in a state of emergency. The crisis could be resolved through greater investment in water and power infrastructure as well as more water or electricity purchases. But political complications and other barriers remain.
Sep 26, 2018
Report
Israeli-Turkish Ties Face Formidable Challenges
Israel and Turkey have mutual economic interests, such as trade, tourism, and energy. The two countries have usually been able to separate these interests from their political differences, but current relations remain contentious. Israel and Turkey differ on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the future of Syria.
Jun 27, 2018
Commentary
Five Thoughts on Jerusalem, Gaza, and What's in Between
Dozens of people have been killed and over 2,000 injured in protests in the Gaza Strip along the border with Israel. Continued clashes are expected until the fundamental problems of the strip are solved, including the governance vacuum, the Palestinian Authority-Hamas rift, and the conflict with Israel.
May 15, 2018
Commentary
Gaza on the Brink
The combined risk of violence and pandemic in Gaza makes this small coastal enclave a ticking time bomb. While neither Israel nor the U.S. has the solutions to all of Gaza's water and health woes, the United States' decision to withhold funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency could only make things worse.
Mar 9, 2018
Journal Article
Gaza's Water and Sanitation Crisis: The Implications for Public Health
Gaza's dire water, sanitation, and electricity challenges are complex and deeply intertwined. Even so, they could be addressed in the long term; current barriers to a policy solution are largely political.
Feb 14, 2018
Journal Article
United States Policy Toward the Gaza Strip
Should the United States choose to change its policies, given political constraints at home, it can have strong leverage, both economic and political, on all the major actors engaged in Gaza - Israel, the PA, Egypt, and the Gulf states.
Feb 13, 2018
Research Brief
Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza
This brief summarizes a RAND report that explores lessons that the U.S. Army and the Joint force can draw from Israel's military operations in Gaza from 2009 to 2014 and how Israel adapted to hybrid adversaries in complex urban terrain.
Oct 18, 2017
Commentary
How Salafism's Rise Threatens Gaza
The rise of hardline Salafism is a worrisome trend in Gaza, where Salafists could surpass Hamas as the most dangerous threat to other Palestinians and the state of Israel. Such a result could signal the sabotage of yet another chance for progress in one of the world's longest-running conflicts.
Oct 11, 2017
Commentary
Five Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza
After a decade of operating against Hamas in Gaza, the Israel Defense Force has learned many lessons about urban warfare against hybrid adversaries. The last confrontation teaches five basic lessons that apply well beyond Gaza.
Aug 3, 2017
Report
Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza
The Israel Defense Force had to evolve to meet an adaptive and determined hybrid adversary during its wars in Gaza. The U.S. Army and the joint force can learn from the IDF's challenge of balancing intense international legal public scrutiny and the hard operational realities of urban warfare.
Jul 26, 2017
Commentary
Hamas's Strategic Rebranding
Hamas has unveiled a revised version of its charter that appears to soften the group's stance toward Israel. Does this represent a shift away from violence and toward a more lasting and peaceful political presence? Or is it a ploy to buy time to rearm?
May 17, 2017
Commentary
The Upside of Lower Oil Prices
Movement toward sharply lower oil prices should be a prominent component of any strategy directed at disabling many of the world's most disruptive threats: Iran's nuclear development, ISIS, Hamas attacks on Israel, and Russia's threat to Ukraine.
Oct 17, 2014
Commentary
The Gaza Conflict: Tunnel Warfare's Latest Chapter
Despite its long history as an effective combat tool, tunneling rarely garners much attention, perhaps because it is inherently clandestine, tedious, and dirty. However, as the conflict in Gaza indicates, tunneling remains effective, and will likely persist as long as conflict itself.
Sep 5, 2014
Commentary
The Grim Lessons of “Protective Edge”
For all the attempts to find technological quick fixes or enforce a permanent settlement, Operation Protective Edge has highlighted that a war of attrition, known as a “long war,” remains the only viable strategy in the current environment.
Sep 3, 2014
Commentary
Gaza and the Nuclear Negotiations
Whether a deal materializes that meets Iranian demands for a civilian nuclear program, but is limited enough to satisfy the U.S. and its partners remains to be seen. But the longer the Gaza conflict continues, the harder it'll be to insulate the negotiations from broader regional trends.
Jul 28, 2014
Blog
With the Death Toll Rising in Gaza, Is There Any Hope for Peace?
Casualties are rising in the conflict between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. Are there any realistic expectations for peace in the region? Who could broker a settlement between Hamas and Israel?
Jul 22, 2014
Research Brief
Preparing for
The experiences of the Israel Defense Forces against hybrid opponents — Hezbollah and Hamas — in the recent conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza will help the U.S. Army understand the capabilities that it and the joint force will require in the future.
Sep 18, 2013

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