I would argue that the war did not “begin” with HAMAS. Instead, the war between Jews and Palestinians in the Middle East has been going for around a century now, never stopping, only pausing sometimes, and frequently changing shape and scope. Much like the Korean War though, it’s just one long war, still technically ongoing, but all parts of the same single war.

The actual responsibility for it probably belongs to the British more than anyone else, who had governance of the territory when it all began. But, while the British have a long and challenging history, there’s just no solutions to be found in putting the blame where it actually belongs–with men long dead of old age.