One segment on the war between Israel and Hamas aired on 9 October 2023 as part of the show "Förmiddag i P4 Malmöhus" (P4 Morning in Malmöhus) on Radio Sweden. Lisa also participated in a segment on the war between Israel and Hamas as part of the show "Förmiddag i P4 Kristianstad" (P4 Morning in Kristianstad) on Radio Sweden, which aired on 9 October 2023.
Below are some excerpts from the two interviews.
Listen to the P4 Malmöhus interview (in Swedish) with Lisa Strömbom (0:09:05-0:13:00)
Listen to the P4 Kristianstad interview (in Swedish) with Lisa Strömbom (1:09:38-1:15:52)
Lisa Strömbom's research profile
Why is this happening now?
Hamas has been hostile to Israel for a long time and has sporadically launched rocket attacks against Israel from Gaza. The big difference now is that they managed to infiltrate the border with Israel and kidnapped civilians and brought them back into Gaza, something they have not been able to do previously. They are doing this to cause Israel harm, against the oppression of the Palestinian population.
Was the Hamas attack a surprise?
Israel was not prepared for such a large-scale attack. However, there have been discussions for a long time of whether there would be a third Intifada and a violent resistance against Israel. But the current development has come as a total surprise for Israel and the international community.
Is Hamas supported by civilians in Gaza?
It is difficult to know to what extent the civilian population in Gaza support Hamas, as it is not possible to publicly criticize Hamas there. However, everyone knows that they - the civilian population - will have to pay a high price in terms of human life when Israel launches its large-scale attack against Gaza.
What will happen in the future?
The Israeli government is heavily criticized for its inability to protect the Israeli population. They will probably have to redefine their relationship to the Palestinians and their strategies towards, but also what the Israeli leadership will look like in the future. The current Israeli government has pursued a tougher occupation policy against the Palestinian territories.
