Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” and its Impact on the Abraham Accords

Abstract

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood conducted by the Hamas movement on October 7, 2023, posed challenges to the dynamics of developments in the West Asia region. This operation was carried out on a large scale, catching Israel off guard and plunging it into shock from the onset. In this context, this paper, compiled through an analytical-descriptive method, seeks to answer the following question: What impact does the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood have on the peace negotiations between Israel and Arab countries within the framework of the Abraham Accords? Thus, the aim of the article is to examine the effects and consequences of this operation on the peace process under the Abraham Accords, which was underway with a view to strengthening relations between Israel and Arab countries. In line with this, the hypothesis of the article is as follows: "The consequences of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood have slowed the process of normalizing relations between Arab countries and Israel." The findings of the article indicate that the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by Hamas has resulted in various military-security, intelligence, political, and economic consequences, including: dispelling the myth of Israel's invincibility, bolstering and empowering the Hamas movement, bringing the Palestinian issue back to the forefront of global discourse, highlighting internal Israeli divisions, a significant intelligence and security failure for Israel, a surge in international public outrage against Israel, the downturn of Israel's economy, catching Israeli military leaders and intelligence systems by surprise, fostering unity in the Islamic world, enhancing Iran's regional standing in West Asia, and most notably, halting or at least delaying the process of normalizing relations between Arab countries and Israel within the framework of the Abraham Accords.