Quarterly Journal of West Asian Studies
(Faṣlnāmah-i Gharb-i Asiyā)

Quarterly Journal of West Asian Studies (Faṣlnāmah-i Gharb-i Asiyā)

Analyzing the Intersection of Security and Political Development in Palestine: A Structural Analysis of Gaza and the West Bank Prior to the October 2023 War

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Iran
2 Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
10.22034/wasj.2026.584118.1140
Abstract
This research aims to analyze the reciprocal links between sustainable security and political development in Palestine, and to explain its role in the stability of the Middle East. The central problem of the study is based on the question of how the systematic policies of the Zionist regime, in the continuation of the occupation and the structural interventions of global powers, have influenced the horizons of political institutionalization and comprehensive security in the region. The study is grounded in a theoretical framework that integrates the approaches of 'Critical Security' and 'Structural De-development' to examine the effects of dominant structures on political development through the analysis of power relations and the reproduction of inequalities. The research methodology is descriptive-analytical, utilizing specialized texts and strategic documents. Within this framework, the aggressive and occupational policies of Israel were measured as the independent variable, while political development and sustainable security served as the dependent variables. The findings indicate that the occupying regime has caused institutional rigidity and the weakening of civil society through the imposition of political restrictions, control over resources, and the engineering of external dependencies. Furthermore, it was found that systematic obstacles in accessing resources and geographical displacements have paralyzed political participation at the infrastructural level. The results imply that the prospect of sustainable security in Palestine depends on a paradigm shift from state-centric security to human-centric security. Finally, this study concludes that while strengthening civil actions is a necessary step, the sustainability of these transformations requires an end to the occupation and a shift in international support structures for the Zionist regime; for without the removal of the primary deterrent—Israel's security policies—any political development will remain in a state of suspension and instability due to the interference of external factors and direct pressures from the regime.
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  • Receive Date 05 June 2026
  • Revise Date 28 July 2026
  • Accept Date 27 July 2026
  • First Publish Date 27 July 2026
  • Publish Date 22 December 2025