Counterintuitive? The hostages held by Hamas and other parties in Gaza are the only buffer, the only preventative to further intense destruction of Gaza and civilian deaths in Gaza.

Nov 15

Counterintuitive? The hostages held by Hamas and other parties in Gaza are the only buffer, the only preventative to further intense destruction of Gaza and civilian deaths in Gaza.

As perverse as that reads, the civilian population of Gaza may be safer if there are hostages in Gaza. No hostages, no reason for restraint by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as they pursue Hamas.

Absent hostages known or believed to be in Gaza, the government of the State of Israel will have few impediments to directing the IDF to leveling the structural landscape in Gaza with a singular purpose of killing members of Hamas, supporters of Hamas, and members and supporters of organizations with connectivity to Hamas.

If the government of the State of Israel was singularly focused upon release of hostages, it could have and publicly said it would release (trade) all incarcerated Palestinians and those with Hamas connectivity- an exchange of approximately 6,000 for approximately 240 (Hamas has reported fifty hostages deceased due to IDF activities).

Once there are no hostages in Gaza, the IDF will not take their tanks and bulldozers and go home. Meaning the residents of Gaza will continue to have no homes to go to.

LINKS To Related Analyses

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