Hamas strike on Israel

Starvation is not the only thing that causes emaciation.

The photo of the emaciated child on the front page of today's Daily Express has a congenital condition.

The following tweet is part of a thread on the issue.

Can you not grasp the reality of the situation? You are not protecting anyone in Gaza by holding onto the hostages.

Has life got better for anyone in Gaza over the last year by refusing to release them?

After a solid year, it's time to try a new tack.

I am on board with the Macron plan. Release the hostages, Ceasefire, demiliatarize Hamas, recognise Palestine, create a Palestinian state which is demilitarised.

Are you on board with that?

This is the essence of the situation.

I'm always optomistic at these junctures. A new path for a new future emerges, for everyone.

Arab nations stand by with a mooted 53 billion aid package to rebuild Gaza. There is no reason why, along with EU and USA money, that Gaza couldn't be building 60-70k housing units by the end of next year annually.

It could be a new model city, but ideology is far more likely to dictate events.

The core issue for a lot of people on here is that the end to the war is only imaginable under Hamas conditions, with a black eye or bloody nose for Israel. Israel must be seen to have been defeated in some manner.

It's a pity because there are so many ways in which the entire area could be peaceful and prospering.

The reactions on here today have been quite shocking.

Macron's letter points out a very clear and clever route to peace, yet posters here are not jumping on board with it, for what seems to me to be blind visceral hatred of Israel and Israelis.

There is an opportunity for peace, Hamas must take it.

What has the Israeli reaction to the French proposals been?

Sure - let's all gather in a circle, hold hands and sing kumbaya.

You can if you want. Be about as useful as your other contributions to the thread.

I had a few thoughts today after France declared its support for the 2 state solution and where I see it all ultimately heading…

Netanyahu's domestic popularity is declining, so he relies heavily on the support of the far-right to remain in power (the issue that matters to him most). Both he and his cabinet are staunchly opposed to a two-state solution. Now that France has officially endorsed the two-state approach, alarm bells are ringing for Netanyahu's coalition. This move has already sparked a rush in the Knesset to push for the annexation of the West Bank.

There is absolutely no chance a Palestinian state will be created on Netanyahu's watch, he has spent decades denouncing it.

https://imeu.org/article/netanyahu-putting-an-end-to-the-oslo-accords-the-two-state-solution

In my view, the following scenarios are likely to unfold (though perhaps not in this precise order):

Escalation in the West Bank leading to Annexation:
As international support for a two-state solution grows, far-right groups and settlers (feeling threatened) will likely intensify their actions against Palestinians in the West Bank. This will provoke resistance from Palestinians, giving the Israeli government a pretext to occupy and militarize the remaining 40% of the West Bank that it does not already control. Under the guise of protecting settlers, Israel will effectively annex these territories "on security grounds."

OR

Direct Annexation:
Israel might simply proceed with the annexation of the West Bank, again citing security concerns. Palestinians could be allowed to remain but would be systematically denied property rights due to alleged paperwork or permit issues, while settlers face no such obstacles. This would inevitably spark backlash from the local Palestinian population.

In both scenarios, Palestinians may be forced to leave, reminiscent of the first Nakba. Historically, Israel has used the fog of war to expand territory, as seen in 1948 and 1967. For this reason, I find the first scenario most likely, although immediate annexation is also possible, since the Knesset has already passed a symbolic annexation motion: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/23/israeli-parliament-approves-symbolic-motion-on-west-bank-annexation

As for Gaza, I suspect it too will eventually be annexed under the same rationale of security, although whether this happens before or after the West Bank is uncertain.

The international community will protest, and Israel may become even more of a pariah state, facing threats of sanctions. However, the US is likely to shield Israel from any real consequences, and critics will be dismissed or accused of anti-Semitism. Over time, world attention will drift elsewhere, the two-state solution will fade from practical consideration, and the idea of Palestinian statehood will be consigned to history.

I believe Palestinians will ultimately be forced to leave (or "voluntarily emigrate", a phrase already used in relation to Gaza), simply because demographic trends suggest the Muslim population (now 6 million compared to 7 million Jews) will soon overtake the Jewish population, a prospect deeply troubling to Israel's current leadership.

For the record, I am strongly pro–two state solution, but I believe events are moving in this direction:

• Gaza is already unliveable
• Israel controls 60% of the West Bank, and the latest steps in the Knesset and ongoing settlement expansion only reinforce this trajectory
• Netanyahu, meanwhile, continues to portray existential threats such as Iran to maintain support among the right and play on the fears of Israelis.

With elections scheduled for October 2026, I expect any major annexations will occur (or at least be well underway) before then.

I’m confused. Why are some posters saying Hamas must accept the proposals but not mentioned Israel’s reaction to them. What am I missing?

If the West Bank is formerly (and illegally) annexed by Israel, will the Palestinians living there be given voting rights in Israeli elections?

Have you not considered the possibility of a prosecutor committing misconduct? Have you not heard of miscarriages of justice?

I think this Israeli government will do what it likes (or feels it has to), and will have the US backing for the next 3 years until Trump is out.

Nothing the ICJ has put forward had any effect so far, and the UN has been accused of "supporting Hamas" so there is that.