The proposal comes following Netanyahu’s rejection of a Hamas offer that sought an end to the war in return for the release of the remaining hostages.
The Israeli government has offered a new proposal to Hamas that would see a two-month ceasefire in return for the release of Israeli hostages, after rebuffing a Hamas offer.
The proposal was given to Egyptian and Qatari mediators following the approval by the Israeli war cabinet ten days prior, according to Israeli officials speaking to Axios.
It is also unknown if any of the over 6,000 Palestinians that have been detained by the Israeli military since 7 October from the occupied West Bank will be included in the deal.
Some 250 hostages were taken during Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October, with 130 being released during a one-week ceasefire in November.
Families of the Israeli hostages have ramped up calls for their release, with protests occurring outside Netanyahu’s house and inside the Israeli Knesset on Sunday.
UN agencies have repeatedly called for a ceasefire for an increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza, as UNRWA reports that 570,000 people face catastrophic hunger in the enclave.
I’m am aware that some people call Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide. The crucial missing element, though, is intent. If Israel was intent on actually genociding the Palestinians, far more Gazans would be dead, and Israel would also be killing Palestinians in Israel proper and the West Bank. If, however, Israel’s intent is to root out a well-entrenched terrorist group hiding in the civilian population, it would be look pretty much exactly like the current situation. Are Israel’s actions in Gaza perfect? No. But they are more consistent with a difficult rooting out operation than genocide. In my opinion.
You’re trying to suggest killing civilians through gross indifference to life is somehow better than doing it as an actual goal.
Yes, definitely. The laws of war hinge on the difference. Bombs and artillery do not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, which is why there are always civilians killed in war. And yet, the use of bombs and artillery is not a war crime.
Now, the principle of proportionality is important here. In the laws of war, the degree of destruction and civilian casualties has to be reasonably proportional to the military objective. For example, to take an extreme example, it would not be generally considered reasonable to knock down a high rise full of civilians just to take out one sniper. That’s why Israel does that roof-knocking thing they do. Each military action has to be evaluated on its merits to determine if it is a war crime. Many of Hamas’s actions have been war crimes (e.g. the use of rape as a weapon of war, hiding combatants among civilians, etc), and I have no doubt that Israel has committed war crimes as well in particular situations. But specific instances of war crimes does not automatically mean they are committing genocide.
FYI Israel is no longer doing roof knocking
Yeah, I guess roof-knocking isn’t feasible during this phase of the war. Hamas certainly is creating moral dilemmas by hiding among civilians.
When you step back and look at it objectively, one has to admit that Iran and the various Islamist groups they sponsor, like Hamas, have quite a brilliant strategy. Just as Hamas cannot defeat the IDF militarily, no one can topple the US and the broader West through conventional military means. The only way to win against the West is to exploit the divisions in our society by creating moral dilemmas. Events like 9/11 and October 7 are calculated to goad us into over-reaction, which generates moral dilemmas, and over-extension, which drains our coffers and our will. The US is particularly vulnerable to this strategy because Americans see themselves as exceptional and less susceptible to the forces of history that affect other nations. This is foolish, of course.