rattlesnake

None directly associated for the purpose of this thread, which is why I will not go any further (again, those reading this, research the Israeli political apparatus and its religious/messianic component, very enlightening).

Yes he does and I encourage those reading this to research it and reach their own conclusions.

For the last time: I did not say that Israel would not agree to a deal, I said that Bibi had claimed he would not be respecting said deal by attacking Rafah no matter what. You overinterpreted what I said, it happens, no worries, let's move on.

Regardless of interpretations, he is a political leader who projects himself – and bases his policies – on messianic Biblical prophecies, the Torah and advice from rabbis. Now I will get back on topic.

Refuse vs. not respect. You are smart, you understand the nuance.

It's what I call a political leader who references the Isaiah prophecy and the Biblical story of Amalek, in which God tells King Saul to annihilate the enemies of Israel, including children, babies, animals, men, women.

The long-term strategy has been crystal clear for a long time.

I suggest toning down the aggressiveness in your rhetoric. I did not say they refused a ceasefire, I said Netanyahu said he would not respect any ceasefire agreed upon as he repeatedly claimed he was going into Rafah no matter what.

It is precisely this notion of "finishing the job" which is at the heart of the issue. When Bibi says "we will enter Rafah and achieve total victory", given the character, his ideology and track record, the intent is clear.

A 6-week ceasefire means fire resumes after 6 weeks. We don't know whether there will be a ceasefire or not, what we do know is that part of the proposed deal includes a 6-week ceasefire and that Netabyahu repeadely stated he will go into Rafah no matter what, even if he loses the support of the US.

Going into Rafah means no ceasefire. And even if they do put it on hold for 6 weeks, that doesn't change anything.

I did not say he would refuse a ceasefire during the talks, I said that he would go into Rafah no matter what, as he repeatedly claims so himself. Again, he reiterated on Sunday that Israel "will enter Rafah and achieve total victory". Or from 4 days ago here: We’ll enter Rafah without US support if we have to, Netanyahu tells Blinken https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/well-enter-rafah-without-us-support-if-we-have-to-netanyahu-tells-blinken-asajrfma (Reminder that this is a fanatical, messianic leader who believes he is fulfilling divine scripture.)

False. From 18 March: Gaza hunger figures “worst on record” - says Oxfam “This new report shows that the catastrophic levels of hunger and starvation in Gaza are the highest ever recorded on the IPC scale, both in terms of number of people and percentage of the population. Never before have we seen such rapid deterioration into widespread starvation. [...] “Children are already dying of malnutrition and starvation under the gaze of the international community." https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/gaza-hunger-figures-worst-record-says-oxfam

Netanyahu will not respect his part of any deal on a ceasefire and openly says it. From 24 March: "It is impossible to defeat the sheer evil by leaving it intact in Rafah." [...] "We are fighting and will be victorious. We will enter Rafah and achieve total victory." https://allisrael.com/as-in-ancient-times-we-are-also-united-we-are-fighting-and-will-be-victorious-says-netanyahu

Spot on. It was hilarious to see Bill Maher comment on this latest development the other day, he and his Trump-deranged entourage unable to hide the look of utter shock and bewilderment on their faces: "he must have done a deal with the Devil…", "he has to be the luckiest guy in the world…", "how is it possible?". Priceless.

Because Bibi has made it clear he will not respect a ceasefire and will go into Rafah no matter what.

So have they finally got him, this time?

Speechless.

Muslim children are not being starved to death by Thais. Please spare me the "human shield" thing. Famine in northern Gaza is imminent as more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger, new report warns The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon of war,” saying the famine was “not a natural disaster” but caused by Israel “preventing humanitarian support entering into Gaza.” Hundreds of trucks were waiting at the border and being prevented entry into Gaza by Israel, he said. [...] Aid delivery by sea and air was only necessary because the “natural” way of delivering aid by land was “artificially closed” by Israel, he added. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/19/middleeast/famine-northern-gaza-starvation-ipc-report-intl-hnk/index.html

Friday 22 March: Unicef official tells of ‘utter annihilation’ after travelling length of Gaza “The depth of the horror surpasses our ability to describe it,” said James Elder, a spokesperson with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef). [...] “A military offensive in Rafah would be utterly catastrophic." [...] “Rafah is Gaza’s last hope and it is utterly bewildering that a conversation on a potential military operation is still continuing.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/22/unicef-official-utter-annihilation-gaza

Your position is intenable.

I will let Human Rights Watch do the explaining. Please read this attentively and pay special attention to section "Violations of International Humanitarian Law": Israeli Forces’ Conduct in Gaza Oxfam and Human Rights Watch have observed or documented that the Israeli authorities have carried out indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks in violation of international humanitarian law following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks in Israel, imposed collective punishments on the civilian population, deprived the civilian population of objects indispensable to its survival, and used starvation of civilians as a weapon of war. These are all grave violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention and customary international humanitarian law. The vast majority of Gaza’s population has also been forced to flee their homes, many as a result of Israeli actions that amount to war crimes. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/19/israeli-forces-conduct-gaza#:~:text=International humanitarian law prohibits parties,population and ensure that the

Israel’s supporters mention the policy of not targeting civilians to draw a civilizational distinction between it and Hamas, which systematically targeted civilians, including children and infants, in its brutal war crimes on Oct. 7. But citing the policy is not a rebuttal as much as it is a diversion. To comply with international humanitarian law, a country is not only obligated to aim at military targets, but also to minimize civilian deaths. https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/israel-target-civilians-gaza-fetterman-rcna123890

Lots of qualified analysts have indicated that there was an element of vengeance in Israel's actions, with all the drawbacks it entails. In addition to being devastating to the image of Israel, these current actions are creating a new generation of Israel-hating combatants. From last November: A Meaningful Endgame in Gaza Will Separate Transformation from Revenge “The desire is understandable for revenge. But vengeance is not a strategy,” said former CIA Director and retired General David Petraeus of the current Israeli military actions in Gaza. [...] Petraeus likewise cautioned about the reality of the day after, asking, “Will this operation take more bad guys off the street than it creates by its conduct?’ https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/meaningful-endgame-gaza-will-separate-transformation-revenge

I agree with the substance of these two messages. I can't go into detail about the reasons as it would be off-topic, but what we are now witnessing is catastrophic to the image of Israel. Netanyahu and his entourage are too fanatical to realise that their current actions are destroying a century of hard work.