In an effort to heal divisions within the Palestinian movement, Hamas issued a new charter in 2017 that accepted the idea of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. Although the document stops short of formally recognizing Israel, it undermines the claim that Hamas is fundamentally committed to Israel's destruction.

It's also notable that after Hamas came to power in 2006, it repeatedly extended peace feelers to the Israeli government. These gestures were consistently rejected, and Israel eventually broke a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Had Israel responded constructively to these overtures, the current tragic situation would have been avoided.