Communication and Diplomacy

Abstract

This article examines the humanitarian crisis and political impasse following the ‘al-Aqsa Flood’ operation (September 7, 2023), based on the struggle for supremacy among global actors and its relationship with regional dynamics. Peacebuilding in Palestine during the post-Cold War era has been shaped by the dominance and pro-Israeli stance of the United States, which has been prominent in disrupting the process. However, the humanitarian and political developments following the Al-Aqsa Flood (such as an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, the possibility of a regional war, and signs of change in the global order) have brought opportunities and challenges that could affect the impasse in the Palestinian Question. The article has analysed the approaches of global actors to the Palestinian question utilising the process tracing method and has interpreted their implications for peacebuilding in Palestine after the Al-Aqsa Flood. Two main conclusions have been reached in the study. According to the first conclusion, initiatives to create a global/regional alternative to the US, which has faced intense criticism for separating the processes of peacebuilding and state-building and for its strong support of Israel, have been observed. The study interprets these initiatives as a noteworthy step, albeit limited, towards changing the balance of power, which has been in favour of the US and deepened the impasse in the Palestinian issue. As a second conclusion, despite its erosion, the dominance of the US continues. Furthermore, the newly elected Trump administration’s stance— increasingly distancing from the two-state solution—might mean applying more hard power. The article asserts that non-Western powers such as Türkiye that conduct human-oriented diplomacy would represent robust alternatives in this process.