Hamas strike on Israel - mod warning in OP updated 19/10/23

This answer I'll be interested in.

Brilliant news. Hopefully the ceasefire holds for more than the allotted time and even more hostages get released. What happens after will be interesting. Israel will still go after Hamas. Hopefully without the additional slaughter of thousands of innocent women and children (which is in its power to do). Talks for a 2 state solution would be the next natural step. Wont happen though.

Aye no doubt she'll have trauma to deal with as she grows up. But shes alive. Thankfully.

The mistaken belief that democracy could flourish in the Middle East...

Is it because I dont buy into cheap and easy-to-digest narratives about the US, oil, the petrodollar and every other story that sounds good down the pub?

As to the video, they could be all Hamas militants as far as we know, there is no context to the video.

That is genuinely fantastic news.

The lie is the lie of omission you have just committed by selectively quoting my post, in at attempt at misrepresentation.

This is what I actually wrote, which is conditional and caveated:

And in wider social media and global terms, the concept that Hamas has been criticised from all quarters certainly does not apply. So when only Israel is being criticised, and never Hamas & when the level of criticism of Israel far exceeds the criticism of other conflicts, then it is entirely legitimate to critique that.

Words change the meaning of sentences, that is not mere 'semantics', otherwise you would not have prejudicially selectively quoted my post.

That reasoning wasn't acceptable when the US was hunting Isis in Iraq, and it's even less so now. The person who fired the bullet is responsible for who it hits. Simple as

It is good news that 50 or so hostages are released.

No doubt the military pressure the IDF has inflicted on Hamas has helped deliver this outcome.

Hope that the other 190 or so who will still be in captivity will be released unharmed.

I'm not sure what you mean by death cult but yes, Hamas is an extreme organisation. Instead of looking at it from the viewpoint that they are creating the scenario that Israelis are then killing thousands of Palestinians but instead look at why a group like Hamas came to be. What were the conditions to cause people to reach the point of desperation to vote for them? Honestly, I doubt many of the people in Gaza truely support Hamas and they were going to get into power either by the ballot or the bullet. It's no secret that Netanyahu wanted Hamas in power to cause division and disorder, they were getting into that position one way or another.

I would also agree with the ascertation that it is an extreme fringe of Israeli society that is pushing this, but there is a level of support within the population although I do wonder how much that has slipped since October 7th. These elements have no interest in peace talks (much like Hamas) and I'd liken the behaviour of both to that of hardline Unionism in the North, wanting to derail the Good Friday Agreement.

What really needs to happen is moderation from both Arab neighbours and western nations. Tacit support of Israels "right to self defence" has weakened the position of western nations to moderate proceedings and in my eyes, has further damaged any possible peaceful solution.

Hamas needs to go, but so does the current government in Israel.

Over 3000 arrested in the West Bank since he 7th.

I broadly agree with that and I strongly agree with your last point. The culpability of neighbouring Arab nations in all this should not be ignored. The Palestinian Araba have been exploited and betrayed by everyone in the region.

I guess they (Hamas) don't want to be caught scurrying out of their tunnel-like rats to safety among the civilian population.

From the BBC:

If or when the truce is over, will the same people decrying the IDF point the blame at Hamas for not releasing all their remaining hostages?

If Hamas care about their people (we know they dont), they have the foundation of a truce that can last 25 days.

Social democrats are a fringe party at best.

No mandate, no power, no relevance.

The war continues until Hamas are defeated and their infrastructure is tunnels, weapons, bomb making facilities etc are destroyed.

Simple as