Part 4/10:
A critical issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict revolves around Hamas, the Islamist extremist group that controls Gaza. Many Western politicians, including Anthony Albanese, have indicated that any potential recognition of Palestine should be contingent upon Hamas’s exclusion from governance. However, Downer highlights the practical difficulty: Hamas's influence is deeply entrenched, and removing or displacing such a group from Gaza would require a comprehensive approach beyond mere political declarations.