The war being waged by Hamas and the Israeli Government seeking increased power/dominion is about power and not religion, on that we can agree.

That said, those beneath both entities are sold on the necessity of violence using the justification of religious conflict.

As from its inception, religion has never been for the authority of the time to worship devoutly. Most religions, and certainly the Judeo-Christian faiths, have always been a means to manipulate and control those authority rules. The Old Testament fucking drips with "do what authority orders, or you'll be smote." and the subsequent branches didn't fall far from the oak.

I would prefer a non willfully ignorant species that has to be told by authority "I want to kill these people because I want to take their land for our nation/These people took our land and freedom so we will attack them when we get an opportunity" instead of being allowed to do what they want on the basis of fairy tales. Without that tool, convincing people to enthusiastically kill and die for you gets a lot harder.