Why did Hamas attack What is Israel trying to achieve Did this catastrophe have to happen And is there a way forward The books expert contributors address these and other questions which have never been more urgent.ampamp10In September 2023 US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan boasted that the Middle East is quieter today than it has been in two decades. One week later unprecedented violence in Gaza and Israel shattered the status quo and shocked the world.ampamp10Hamasampamp8217s Operation AlAqsa Deluge punctured delusions of stability as hundreds of militants burst forth from the Gaza prison camp. In the ensuing carnage and firefights 1200 Israelis were killed and hundreds more taken hostage.ampamp10Israelampamp8217s retaliation turned the besieged enclave into a howling wasteland.