Paul Rogers: Israel-Hamas war shows there are no military solutions to political problems

Just as in Afghanistan and Iraq, the use of intense force against paramilitaries is not working. Once more it will have disastrous consequences, writes Paul Rogers

Palestinians inspect the damage of a destroyed mosque following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday. Picture: Mohammed Dahman/AP

At the start of the second month of the Gaza war, two questions emerge: What kind of conflict are we witnessing and how long will it last?

These questions force us to consider longer trends in modern warfare — linked not just to the post-9/11 “wars on terror”— but to a more global security paradigm that is about maintaining control, rather than addressing the underlying causes of revolt.