For almost two years – since October 7, 2023, when the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel, murdered 1,200 civilians, and took 240 hostages – war has been raging in Gaza. The conflict is being fought with unrelenting ferocity – on both sides. Kerstin Müller, Program Director for the Middle East Network, assesses the current situation and explains why recognizing a Palestinian state would currently be purely symbolic politics.