( CNN ) -- In an almost unbearably predictable recurrence of conflict between Israel and the Hamas-led Gaza , the two find themselves once again squaring off for another round in the never-ending vicious cycle of violence . Nearly four years after the deadly `` Cast Lead '' operation , Israel 's military has embarked on a new operation , this time codenamed `` Pillar of Cloud , '' killing the most senior military Hamas commander and escalating pre-existing hostilities . The hundreds of rockets that have been fired from Gaza at Israel following the assassination and Israeli air and artillery attacks come as no surprise : It is all too familiar . However , this round of violence is taking place in a very different Middle East to the one in which both sides clashed on a similar scale at the end of 2008 . From Tunisia and Libya to Egypt and Syria , civil uprisings and revolutions have rapidly changed the political and social landscape of the region . These changes , together with the ever-present Iran and Hamas 's improving military capabilities , are creating new realities which also affect the environment in which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is conducted . The border between Gaza and Israel is never entirely peaceful , always on the verge of full-blown war . Trouble regularly flares as result of tit-for-tat attacks which spiral out of control , or because of military and political considerations . Like `` Cast Lead , '' this operation is taking place just a few weeks after Israeli elections were declared -- they will be held in January next year . Soon after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's announcement , Israel allegedly bombed a military arms factory in Khartoum , Sudan , which supplied arms to the Hamas in Gaza . Notwithstanding the constant provocation of rockets fired on Israeli towns and villages by Hamas and its allies in Gaza , the proximity of Israel 's attack to their impending elections does n't seem to be a coincidence . There is almost a long standing political tradition by Israeli governments to avert attention from their social and economic failures . Launching a military campaign against an obvious , albeit not innocent , enemy will bring short term military and potential electoral success . However , it will only exacerbate the situation . Ahmed Ja'abari was long a marked man , considering his involvement in hundreds of deadly attacks on Israel . Nevertheless , he had also shown pragmatism in the protection of , and deal to release , the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit . According to Gerhson Baskin , an Israeli peace activist who was involved in the negotiations to release Shalit , Ja'abari was very seriously considering a permanent ceasefire with Israel . Bearing in mind his prominence within the organisation , this might have led to a significant and critical change in relations between these two sworn enemies . In the past , Israeli heavy-handedness with Hamas was met with either half-hearted protestations or even tacit approval from the Arab World . It remains to be seen if there will be a different reaction this time , and what the long term impact on relations between Israel and the newly shaped region will be . Secular regimes are quickly being replaced by Islamist parties which have both mandates and legitimacy , having been elected in free and fair elections . These governments ' immediate instinct is sympathy , not only with the people of Gaza , but also with the Hamas government , an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood movement which currently holds the presidency in Egypt . Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi wasted no time , immediately recalling his country 's ambassador to Israel to Cairo and vowing to stand by the people of Gaza `` until we stop the aggression . '' On Friday , Egypt 's Prime Minister Hisham Qandil called on the world to stop Israeli `` aggression , '' describing Israel 's actions as a disaster . Both countries have a strategic interest not to let the situation in Gaza endanger the peace treaty which was signed more than 30 years ago , even if the Muslim Brotherhood has always been critical of it . It is also an opportunity for Egypt to show its leadership and broker a ceasefire -- doing so would enhance the country 's international credibility in the post-Mubarak era . Elsewhere , the Qatari foreign minister called the events in Gaza a `` filthy crime '' which should not go unpunished . This is strong language from one of Israel 's less critical neighbours in the region . It is conceivable that events unfolding in Syria will bring more religious elements into government when , more likely than if , the Assad regime falls . This , coupled with ongoing disquiet in Jordan , makes Israel 's position in the region seem more precarious than it has been for a long time . The current show of force by Israel may be aimed at sending a clear message to its neighbors that its policy of using its military might whenever it deems necessary has n't changed , especially amid growing concerns that the civil war in Syria is gradually spilling over into the occupied Golan Heights . Moreover , Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Ehud Barak signal that despite elevating the containment of Iranian nuclear programme to the top of their priority list , they wo n't neglect strategic challenges closer to home . Israel 's policy of the uncompromising use of force may prove counterproductive , both military and politically . No one questions the right of Israeli citizens to live free of rocket attacks from Gaza , yet time and again it has proven that the army can provide a very limited solution . Militarily , the first few days of hostilities have proved that the Iron Dome interception system is only partially successful , and Hamas rockets can reach as far as Tel Aviv and its neighboring cities , exposing Israel 's vulnerability . However , even more alarming is the lack of political wisdom in learning from the past that the use of excessive force only leads to further radicalization of Palestinian society , a future of increasing bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians , and the deterioration of relations with the Arab world . This is increasingly so as a result of the Arab Spring . The answer to Israeli security challenges lies around the negotiation table . Unfortunately , the current government in Israel has no political plan that can bring about peace , and believes its ability to regain power at the next elections relies on a show of military force instead of diplomatic efforts and a genuine peace process . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Yossi Mekelberg .
Israel - Gaza conflict nothing new , but current violence is taking place in a very different Middle East . Yossi Mekelberg : region 's political , social landscape changed by the Arab Spring . Israel : New Palestinians ' instinct is sympathy with people of Gaza , Hamas government . Israel 's lack of political wisdom in learning from the Palestinians is alarming , says Israel .