So pleased to see hostages being released.

Just read, on the BBC, that there are at least 10 'factions' in Gaza, that took part in the Raid, and that Hamas does not know where all of the hostages are. Ten different 'factions' helps to explain why some of the raiders were more vicious than others. I thought at first maybe ISIS had been involved. BBC or maybe the Guardian, has a good account of how the terrorists prepared for the assault, and it is incredible that IDF did not know about the plan. A more gentle read, think it's in the Guardian called 'Gaza diary'. I was scared, yes scared, to read this at first, but it is worth a look. Don't know if GNs outside of GB can get access to these.

Today I saw a small boy in bed in a bombed hospital somewhere in Gaza who was calling for his parents. He also wanted to get out of bed.
What he doesn’t know is his parents are dead and both his legs have been amputated. His name is Ahmed. He is 4 and
his life is changed forever. Just one of thousands of innocent children.

I'm in complete agreement with paddyann here. Israel should know better after pogroms and the Holocaust but unfortunately they seem hell bent on genocide. The persecutions have been continuing for decades, and the West Bank has illegal Israeli settlers on what should be Palestinian land, a d who terrorise the Palestinians who were living there and are driving them away. The attacks on the kibbutzim on October 7 were truly terrible and I wouldn't condone the actions of the perpetrators but I have my own suspicions about whether the Israeli government had foreknowledge of these awful acts.
How many civilians need to be killed and maimed, and their tiny bit of land decimated, before Israel decide that they're satisfied?

As if any one of us could possibly know whether or not the Israeli government had any knowledge of the plan to rape, murder and defile 1400 Israeli citizens.
My guess, no they didn’t. Others think they did know. The truth is no one knows. Opinions aren’t facts!

silverlining48

Today I saw a small boy in bed in a bombed hospital somewhere in Gaza who was calling for his parents. He also wanted to get out of bed.
What he doesn’t know is his parents are dead and both his legs have been amputated. His name is Ahmed. He is 4 and
his life is changed forever. Just one of thousands of innocent children.

Just like the four year old Israeli girl hostage, who was in her father’s arms and watched her mother killed and then her father was murdered whilst holding her. She has just been returned to her extended family.

It is always the innocent who suffer in war.

Hamas attacked Israel on 7/10 as they were extremely worried about the trilateral peace agreement about to be signed , the knew how Israel would react

Yes just like the little Israeli girl GG, and all the other innocents It is a tragedy.

silverlining48

I saw the tv footage when the two little red haired children were taken with their mother. The captors were gentle and I really hope they and everyone else are safe.
The problem is that hostages are presumably being kept in Gaza which has been bombed relentlessly over the past 6 weeks, with the prospect of it continuing after this pause, so once again all civilians will be at risk and many more will sadly be killed.

One little released child hostage said he had been forced to watch videos over and over again of Hamas murdering and desecration the bodies of others in his kibbutz.

😥

Callistemon21 that is heartbreaking.

It does reinforce my opinion that Hamas are the lowest of the low, sadistic, brutal terrorist group imaginable.

How long will it take to get all the hostages back, it’s a slow trickle tho am sure the Israeli government is doing all it can.

I can’t defend Netanyahu or the blanket bombing. They’re an elected government, faced with the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust. Hamas knew exactly what it was doing when it launched the murderous kidnaps.

I can find nothing about Hamas that makes me have a shred of compassion for their terrorists.

The majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace. Why some think the experience of pogroms throughout time and the Holocaust should somehow mean in Jewish people /Israel ‘should know better’ than react to people who attack them with the stated aim of wiping Israel/the Jews from the face of the earth is a mystery.
Read Leon Uris and others on the way Jewish people felt shame having been accused of simply walking into the gas chambers rather than fight. They fought in the Warsaw ghetto. They recognised the need for a ho eland where they could be safe

Iam64 I agree

It's actually Israel who want the Palestinians wiped from the map.
My reference to the Holocaust was to make the point that my fellow Jews know exactly what it's like to be persecuted and treated as second class citizens. They've been treating the Palestinians like that for decades and themselves also acted as terrorists. Their current action is totally disproportionate.

I agree, the current action is totally disproportionate. My Jewish friends who live in or have family in Israel do not want Palestinians wiped from the map.
We need to try and reach a painful consensus. Extremists are not helpful

"Why some think the experience of pogroms throughout time and the Holocaust should somehow mean in Jewish people /Israel ‘should know better’ than react to people who attack them with the stated aim of wiping Israel/the Jews from the face of the earth is a mystery."

Yet many Jews do. Actually that's no mystery to me because I believe that most of us, regardless of our religion or Nationality have shared values of humanity and empathy. The horror that most of us feel about the vile actions of Hamas on 7/11 do not make us less human, if anything they should make us, more human. Seeing the suffering of others makes many us even more determined to stop the suffering, not add to it because we don't see any "equivalence", we just see suffering.

foxie48 I’m in agreement with your comments. Most of us share values of humanity and empathy. The majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace.
My irritation is with those who seem to believe Jewish people, especially Israelis lack humanity and should have more of ut than we ordinary mortals because of their history of oppression

I am of the opinion, and yes, I have the effrontery to state an opinion here, that the current leadership in Israel would have to go/resigned/be voted out, before any progress to peace could be achieved.

Perhaps another look at the maps of the region in both 1949 and 2023, would assist those discussing who wants whom wiped from the face of the earth.

Yes, how is it that Netanyahu keeps getting voted in. It’s been decades.
He is only kept from facing justice by remaining in and the protection of the government.

The difference between the two 4 year olds mentioned upthread is that one will get all the medical treatment she needs, with years of therapy if required. I am happy about that of course, but the other child, the orphaned boy with both legs amputated, will not and may well die because of infection due to lack of meditation/medical attention because hospitals are not able to function.

These are but two examples from the millions who suffer.

silverlining48

The difference between the two 4 year olds mentioned upthread is that one will get all the medical treatment she needs, with years of therapy if required. I am happy about that of course, but the other child, the orphaned boy with both legs amputated, will not and may well die because of infection due to lack of meditation/medical attention because hospitals are not able to function.

These are but two examples from the millions who suffer.

Many Palestinians were getting much-needed medical treatment in Israel because aid had been diverted away from the Palestinian people by their leaders. There were many Israeli people who helped Palestinian patients with transport from the border to hospitals in Israel.
They are not likely to get that medical treatment now or in future because of the actions of Hamas.

No they won’t get the medical treatment they need. Still let’s blame Hamas and not think too much about the ordinary people who have to pay the price often with their lives.
Most of the 14,000 who have been killed in the last few terrible weeks are women and children. Why so little compassion. I am genuinely disappointed how harsh some can be.

Why so little compassion

Not me, if you read my posts. Which you obviously have not or you wouldnt pbe so rude.

I was stating facts in the last one.
Emoting isn't helping anyone.

It was a general comment about my view of some responses over the thread and certainly not aimed at you or any one in particular.

Callistemon21

silverlining48

The difference between the two 4 year olds mentioned upthread is that one will get all the medical treatment she needs, with years of therapy if required. I am happy about that of course, but the other child, the orphaned boy with both legs amputated, will not and may well die because of infection due to lack of meditation/medical attention because hospitals are not able to function.

These are but two examples from the millions who suffer.

Many Palestinians were getting much-needed medical treatment in Israel because aid had been diverted away from the Palestinian people by their leaders. There were many Israeli people who helped Palestinian patients with transport from the border to hospitals in Israel.
They are not likely to get that medical treatment now or in future because of the actions of Hamas.

And many Palestinians were not permitted to leave Gaza or to access treatment. There were cases of women giving birth at the crossing points because Israel would not grant them admission. The idea that all they had to do was request treatment is completely wrong.
The facilities in Gaza were built in spite of Israel who only allowed a limited amount of building materials through the checkpoints. It was calculated after the last Israeli destruction of Gaza that it would take 80 years to restore living conditions at the rate they permitted. The materials were brought in through the tunnels.
Goodness knows how long restoration will take this time. If it ever happens.But Israel has destroyed Gaza again

Goodness knows how long restoration will take this time
That's a question we've asked, and the same with Ukraine. And Syria.