I was hopeful for the hostages at first, but now I’m thinking that the IDF is actually going to kill them or get them killed in its attack on Gaza. If the Israelis really want to eradicate Hamas, why don’t they just do it the way they carried out Operation Bayonet? The onslaught on Gaza just seems totally reckless and unnecessary, unless perhaps Israel already had designs to destroy it. Maybe Operation Al-Aqsa Flood just provided an opportunity to expedite Gaza’s destruction.
It’s sad to say, but those hostages didn’t have much of a chance to begin with. The only positive thing that could happen is if Hamas gave them up. Of course, this would only delay the inevitable.
I was hopeful for the hostages at first, but now I’m thinking that the IDF is actually going to kill them or get them killed in its attack on Gaza. If the Israelis really want to eradicate Hamas, why don’t they just do it the way they carried out Operation Bayonet? The onslaught on Gaza just seems totally reckless and unnecessary, unless perhaps Israel already had designs to destroy it. Maybe Operation Al-Aqsa Flood just provided an opportunity to expedite Gaza’s destruction.
It’s sad to say, but those hostages didn’t have much of a chance to begin with. The only positive thing that could happen is if Hamas gave them up. Of course, this would only delay the inevitable.
BTW, the number is now 199.
The Netanyahu government famously traded over one thousand Palestinian prisoners, including some lifers, for a single live IDF soldier. Based on that precedent, the lives of the hostages are extremely valuable to their captors. Therefore, I thought they had very good chances. I did not expect Israel to forsake the hostages instead.
We’ll have to see how it plays out, but I doubt a prisoners exchange is in the offing.