Am I right or wrong

[Gerard Fisher]

#117

Hamas releasing the hostages would give Israel no further reason to continue, the blame lies with both, Israel for the aggression and Hamas for continuing to hold the hostages.Why aren't the Palestinian people not protesting against Hamas holding the hostages?

Terry,

That is a reasonable question. My own suspicion is that the Hannibal Directive is in operation here. It is Israeli government policy that it is better to shoot their own people than allow them to be taken hostage. Anything to avoid negotiations with hostage takers. However, since some have been taken hostage anyway, it shouldn't surprise us that the hostages are worth more to Israel in captivity than back in Israel. Israel can then continue waging war on the grounds that they have no other choice whilst some of their citizens are held hostage.

And if Israel cared little for its people in captivity, what are the chances that they care at all for the innocents of this war? This is a callous government.

[happy daze john in oz]

It was stated by one of our correspondents the other day that what is occurring in GAZA is nothing short of Ethnic cleansing!!!!

[Gerard Fisher]

It was stated by one of our correspondents the other day that what is occurring in GAZA is nothing short of Ethnic cleansing!!!!

John,

This seems like what is happening right before our eyes.

The only solution to the present conflict acceptable to Israel is a single Greater Israel in which there are no Palestinians. There are approximately 9 millions Israelis and 9 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. How exactly does Israel think it can dispose of or displace 9 million Palestinians? Where are they going to hide the bodies?

The last major attempted ethnic cleansing of a population was in Kosovo in 1999. NATO stepped in and brought Serbia to heel by bombing Belgrade. That took all of 2 weeks to stop. Milosevic, the democratically elected president of Serbia, was declared a war criminal and subsequently stood trial. The contrast with the treatment of Israel by the west is stark. The west, primarily the USA, has instead armed Israel to the extent that the war in Gaza is probably the most asymmetric war in history. A turkey shoot as the Americans like to say. Or shooting fish in a barrel. Pick your metaphor. This is hypocrisy on a grand scale.

[happy daze john in oz]

It appears now that a majority of those countries of importance say a two state solution is the only answer.
Apart from USA and Isreal who say no.

Peace in the middle east will always be a problem with Jews and Arabs there.
But crazy as it is there are both Arabs and Jews living in Israel.
But they are the normal people, who want just the chance to live their lives in peace, not the gov of the day.

There has always been some conflict there but nothing to the extent it is now with the current Pm there.

Yes, they were attacked and have the right to defend themselves, but not in the manner they currently use.
The number of women and children killed far exceeds the number of terrorists

[martin tregoning]

The general population of Gaza and the occupied West Bank did not take part in the Oct.7 attack. Israel declared war on Hamas not on the civilian Palestinian population. Collective punishment was carried out by the Nazi's in WW2 and declared a war crime and a crime against humanity.

The population did not take part but they did vote for Hamas and put them in power, so it naturally follows that they are included amongst the target same as UK population was in WW2

[happy daze john in oz]

Put in the situation they were at the time the majority of the population had no other choice.
Thye voted for the only party of any consequence

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I listened last night to one of the most useless greedy Bs ever to be President of the US, praising the peace accord now in progress, honking through his nose, it will be a blessing when it is over. This from the man who has provided the modern weapons with which to kill over 40,000 civilians in Gaza. A man who is so upright and godly he pardoned his son who should have done five years for drug and gun crimes, the worst pasrt was that he also pardoned 30 odd waiting the death sentence, a merry Amas for the relatives of the ones they killed.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Des, sadly he did what he is allowed to do, be it right or wrong to do so.
History will decide if he was good or not.
If the Gaza peace agreement gets up before Sunday he will claim he did it.

[James Curry]

Well if there is a god perhaps the recent fires & floods around the world is pay back for the Tons of bombs dropped on Gaza and elsewhere.

[happy daze john in oz]

So a peace agreement between Gaza and Israel comes into force and will last 6 weeks,
During this time hostages and prisoners of war will be exchanged.

Then what?
There will be nothing to stop Notayahoo from continuing his attack on Gaza, the hostages are home safe.