The Israel-Gaza War: Palestinian Politics and the Realities of Statehood with Zaha Hassan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Burn Bag will be covering the Israel-Gaza War over the course of several episodes, sourcing multiple perspectives on the conflict. The Burn Bag does not officially endorse any views expressed by our guests, but rather bring those perspectives to you, the audience.

This week, A'ndre spoke with Zaha Hassan, a Fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, on Palestinian politics, human rights challenges, and goals around statehood. Zaha, who advised Palestinian negotiating teams during the early 2010s, outlines her views on why prior peace negotiations had failed, and what the key blockers to the Two-State Solution are. Zaha provides insights into how the Palestinian Authority functions and defining what Palestinians mean when they refer to Israeli 'Occupation'. Zaha also discusses Hamas' control of Gaza, how they factor into discussions on statehood, possible motivations for the October 7th Attacks, and what the 'day after' may look like in Gaza. We get Zaha's take on what a potential ceasefire would mean for broader opportunities for peace, U.S. engagement in the conflict, and key humanitarian challenges in the present and aftermath of the War.