Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123
It seems likely they have to be weakened to some unknown point where they'll accept terms that basically end them.
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Spot on, unfortunately.
The other thing the ceasefire-callers ignore or fail to grasp is the deterrence aspect of Israel's military aims. Any scenario where Hamas exists as a coherent political/military entity after this is a win for them. It would prove to Hezbollah, and all the other Iranian proxies, that you can attack Israel and survive the consequences if you can just hold out long enough for public opinion to shift in the West. It encourages the Hamas approach of using your own people as shields to guarantee maximum devastation. Every time you post photos of an injured Palestinian child to justify a ceasefire, you're playing Hamas' game.
It's possible to take pity on Palestinians, advocate for statehood, and oppose Netanyahu, whilst understanding the necessity of Israel achieving their war aims. Anything less than the total eradication of Hamas invites future attacks from Israel's many enemies, including a reconstituted Hamas (who will remain in power if a ceasefire is called).
This is why I question the motives or intelligence of anyone seriously calling for a ceasefire; if you agree that Israel should never again endure a 7 Oct type attack, you can't advocate for a solution that involves a Hamas victory.
Unless you can figure out a way to dismantle Hamas without decimating Gaza (spoiler alert, you can't).