As dark as things seem, the war in Gaza could end up restarting the peace process | Tony Klug

Every peaceable advance since 1967 has been provoked by an unforeseen seismic event. This could be one of them too

• Tony Klug is a former consultant to the Palestine Strategy Group and the Israeli Strategic Forum

Hamas's horrific attack on Israeli civilians, coupled with Israel's horrific retaliation, has prompted some to consign the peace process to the graveyard. But to even refer to a peace process" these days is fallacious: there has not been a peace process for years, or even the prospect of one. That said, I believe it is possible that from the ashes of the present wretchedness, one could arise.

There were times, notably during the Oslo years, when a more peaceful future could be glimpsed. For decades, following my advocacy of a two-state solution in the early 1970s, I worked closely with Israelis and Palestinians and was often struck by the camaraderie between peace negotiators - rarely matched in other conflict situations - and at unofficial track-two" meetings. It was not uncommon for them to socialise between sessions.

Dr Tony Klug is a former senior adviser on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and a consultant to the Palestine Strategy Group and the Israeli Strategic Forum