GAZA CITY — GAZA CITY - Psychiatrist Eyad el-Sarraj can be as caustic as any Palestinian in condemning Israel's 40-year occupation of the Gaza Strip. But he speaks with admiration approaching awe of Israelis' kindness during his own bone marrow treatment two years ago at Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, outside Tel Aviv. Other Palestinians there got similar attention, he says, adding, "This is something I will never forget."
Business consultant Sami Abdel-Shafi has heard sentiments similar to Mr. el-Sarraj's from older laborers who used to be allowed to work in Israel. But younger people haven't had the same exposure and harbor a darker view, he says. Indeed, the prospect that many Gazans will again recognize human qualities in Israelis is shrinking, and with it the chance of reconciliation between two peoples that is essential for lasting peace.
Each day the divide widens. Palestinian militants fire crude rockets that occasionally kill and more often terrorize Israeli civilians. Israel retaliates with airstrikes and incursions that target militants but frequently cause civilian casualties.
"We are stepping into a generational catastrophe," says Mr. Abdel-Shafi, a moderate political independent. "You have two generations who regard Israel as an enemy because they haven't seen anything otherwise."
It could get worse. As cease-fire talks stall, Israel says Gaza's militants, some trained by Iran, are smuggling more-sophisticated arms. There is repeated talk of a major Israeli military operation.
History suggests such a move won't quell the violence for long, and that with Gaza's close proximity to Israel, it will remain a festering sore and a threat.
Yet no one - not the divided Palestinian leadership, Israel, neighboring Egypt or the United States - seems to know what to do about Gaza, home to nearly 1.5 million people, a large majority of whom are members of families that fled or were driven from Israel in 1948.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon thought he knew. He emptied the coastal strip of Jewish settlers in 2005 and withdrew the soldiers, internal checkpoints and watch towers that guarded them.
James Wolfensohn thought he knew. He was the former World Bank president who worked strenuously in 2005 to make sure Gaza's economy could thrive and grow after disengagement, even putting his own money into the effort. Other investors joined in.
