OPINION - The violence must stop and the hostages must be released

[webfact]

 

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas will cause human suffering beyond imagination, given the longstanding conflict of the past seven decades. While the humanitarian convoys have been allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, through the Rafah crossing point, there must be a guarantee that this aid will reach the victims in need.

 

The whole world is now fixated on the expected outcome of the upcoming ground offensive by the Israeli defence forces. Despite appeals from key global leaders, urging Israel to delay or cancel the offensive to allow the Palestinians to take refuge in safe places in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war Cabinet are not listening. The surprise attack by the Hamas on October 7th has tarnished his government’s reputation almost every respect. In the coming days, he will display all of Israel’s military might and power to annihilate Hamas, no matter how much damage it will cause.

 

At the moment, countries with nationals being held hostage by Hamas are trying to secure their release. If they are not released prior to the ground offensive, which could come at any time, they will certainly become collateral damage. If anything happens to the hostages, the Israeli forces would be blamed.

 

It is interesting to note that, in the past weeks, the hostage saga has appeared in the news headlines all over the world with a focus on the Western hostages. Among the 200 foreigners held by Hamas, 19 are innocent Thai workers from various kibbutzim and moshav.

 

By Kavi Chongkittavorn

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-10-24

 

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[ikke1959]

It is a big problem in Israel and with Hamas, which is not easy to solve. In past years we have seen that especially Israel is the biggest agressor and of course the Palestinians are defending fighting back. Israel wants to expand and don't accept all rulings of the VN. No wonder it escalates so many times. What is Israel is doing now is against all kind of humanity but the Western world will always support Israel as it was their idea to give the country to the Jews.. Even in the Bible the jews were fighting to get into their "promised land" and they still do it...The International community has to possibility t stop this by giving less or non support to Israel anymore as long as they don't stop expanding their territory.

[riclag]

Hostages released unconditionally ! Hamas must turn themselves  in to Israel authorities ,than the violence can stop.

Hamas is a terrorist organization!

On Oct 7 they committed and instigated heinous acts on all citizens  of the world !

[Enzian]

"If anything happens to the hostages, the Israeli forces would be blamed."

By you, apparently. 

[sammieuk1]

Keep going forget the lunatics that want cessation after massacre they are not living next door to psychopaths, the only downside is Ukraine is out of the news hopefully Muslim extremists and dictators will have had their day once and for all or at least a few years 🤔  

[dinsdale]

I think beheading babies etc. requires a response. It is happening now and happening big time. Hamas, who kicked this off this time, do not care about the Palistininian civilians. They are religious nutters.

[Jingthing]

My take is that opinion piece reflects not really caring about the conflict, but is caring about the Thai hostages. If the Thai hostages had already been released by the Hamas terrorist scum, would that item have even been published? 

Nothing unusual or particularly horrible about self interest, but there it is.

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Ever since HAMAS kicked out the Government in Gaza there have been problems, West Bank is NOT Gaza.

Hamas funded and assisted by iran same as hezbollah .

Now those who sup[port HAMS justify the 3000 rocketsd firimnto Israel and the nurdering and killing of unarmed civilians. Then you tourt p[eac. ,, Real world alert Hamas cares little for fellow palestinians as they care even less about Jews !!

[xtrnuno41]

Religions as motivation to rule, to indoctrinate and suppress. The worst invention made by mankind.

I bet the moslims want to go back to Ottoman empire.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Religions as motivation to rule, to indoctrinate and suppress. The worst invention made by mankind.

I bet the moslims want to go back to Ottoman empire.

It really has nothing to do with religion, religion is simply used as a pretext by very small, and very cowardly men to wreak havoc, violence, rape and destruction upon the planet, all in the name of Allah. However Allah does not even know their first name, these guys are invisible to any sort of Divine being. They are less than insects. Same applies to the mindless, Israeli extremists at the far right wing of the Knesset. Thr settlements are an abomination, that few seem interested in discussing. 

[Yellowtail]

I think it's clear what side Kavi Chongkittavorn supports. 

[proton]

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It really has nothing to do with religion, religion is simply used as a pretext by very small, and very cowardly men to wreak havoc, violence, rape and destruction upon the planet, all in the name of Allah. However Allah does not even know their first name, these guys are invisible to any sort of Divine being. They are less than insects. Same applies to the mindless, Israeli extremists at the far right wing of the Knesset. Thr settlements are an abomination, that few seem interested in discussing. 

 

It's totally about religion, Hamas want to destroy Israel and establish a sharia state then press on with their Jihad in the name of the prophet, the ultimate aim is a world under islam. Islam was spread by the sword and the prophet a self confessed terrorist. If you don't think this is correct listen to the son of a Hamas founder Mosab Hassan Yousef.

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Religions as motivation to rule, to indoctrinate and suppress. The worst invention made by mankind.

I bet the moslims want to go back to Ottoman empire.

I bet the secular left all want to go back to Stalin's Russia as well. 

 

[Thorgal]

Quote from OP :

 

" If they are not released prior to the ground offensive, which could come at any time, they will certainly become collateral damage. If anything happens to the hostages, the Israeli forces would be blamed."

 

- As per international law = YES because they are non combatants.

[Yellowtail]

1 minute ago, Thorgal said:

Quote from OP :

 

" If they are not released prior to the ground offensive, which could come at any time, they will certainly become collateral damage. If anything happens to the hostages, the Israeli forces would be blamed."

 

- As per international law = YES because they are non combatants.

Hey Buddy! Still waiting for you to support your claim that Israel has killed a million innocent Palestinians since the 7th.

[Thorgal]

12 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Hey Buddy! Still waiting for you to support your claim that Israel has killed a million innocent Palestinians since the 7th.

 

Where did I said this?

[observer90210]

Hostage release for sure.

 

Violence Stop also for sure...from both parties involved that is.

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Hostage release for sure.

 

Violence Stop also for sure...from both parties involved that is.

So just leave terrorist Hamas in power after the October 7 pogrom?

Does not compute.

[observer90210]

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So just leave terrorist Hamas in power after the October 7 pogrom?

Does not compute.

Did I say that ? No.

Wipe out Hamas for sure. But no need to wipe out the civilians no matter on which side of the wall.

On the other hand we used to consider the IRA as a terrorist group. Today their political wings are democratically elected. Same for the PLO or the FLNC in Corsica etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not defending the terrorist despicable crimes of Hamas. Not at all.

But the issue may be a bit more complex than some may tend to agree. There is no "good" or "bad" side in the never ending Middle East tensions or in communitarianism differences, sectarianism or territorial disputes in general. 

Only victims on all sides and criminals who use terrorist guerilla on one side or retaliate and indulge in war crimes by blindly bombing civilians and allegedly using gas as per some media reports.

People often comment (not you of course), but they would not be even able to point out Gaza or the west bank on a map without Google.

So kindly do not misunderstand or misinterpret. Thank you.

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

Did I say that ? No.

Wipe out Hamas for sure. But no need to wipe out the civilians no matter on which side of the wall.

On the other hand we used to consider the IRA as a terrorist group. Today their political wings are democratically elected. Same for the PLO or the FLNC in Corsica etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not defending the terrorist despicable crimes of Hamas. Not at all.

But the issue may be a bit more complex than some may tend to agree. There is no "good" or "bad" side in the never ending Middle East tensions or in communitarianism differences, sectarianism or territorial disputes in general. 

Only victims on all sides and criminals who use terrorist guerilla on one side or retaliate and indulge in war crimes by blindly bombing civilians and allegedly using gas as per some media reports.

People often comment (not you of course), but they would not be even able to point out Gaza or the west bank on a map without Google.

So kindly do not misunderstand or misinterpret. Thank you.

This is naive bull.

Israel needs to bomb Hamas targets first.

It's on Hamas that they use their own people as human shields.

Going into the tunnels is going to be one of the most difficult tasks in military history.

Israel will take massive casualties regardless.

But you're suggesting that they voluntarily take massively more casualties by not softening Hamas targets first with bombing.

No other country would be expected to commit suicide like that!

[observer90210]

14 hours ago, Jingthing said:

This is naive bull.

Israel needs to bomb Hamas targets first.

It's on Hamas that they use their own people as human shields.

Going into the tunnels is going to be one of the most difficult tasks in military history.

Israel will take massive casualties regardless.

But you're suggesting that they voluntarily take massively more casualties by not softening Hamas targets first with bombing.

No other country would be expected to commit suicide like that!

Total rubbish.

If you plainly repeat like a parrot the propaganda of certain TV networks, obviously your vision is biaised.

If you watch neutral European or Asian media, the whole picture is different.

You obviously totally ignore factual historical elements of warefare. Countries do tend to sacrifice their own.  During ww2 and the last days before D Day in Normandy, hundreds and thousands of UK soldiers were plainly used as canon meat to distract the nazis.  

Feel free to invent your vision of the facts.  Have a great evening pal.

[xtrnuno41]

17 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I bet the secular left all want to go back to Stalin's Russia as well. 

 

There are many religions, not all having a "real" god.

[quake]

On 10/24/2023 at 3:20 PM, Jingthing said:

My take is that opinion piece reflects not really caring about the conflict, but is caring about the Thai hostages. If the Thai hostages had already been released by the Hamas terrorist scum, would that item have even been published? 

Nothing unusual or particularly horrible about self interest, but there it is.

 

Hear Hear. 

[Yellowtail]

33 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

There are many religions, not all having a "real" god.

Yes, government is the only true God to the left. 

[xtrnuno41]

7 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Yes, government is the only true God to the left. 

All "religions" have 3 main pillars, power, greed, money. If you try to touch one of those, you are out.

True democracy, communism dont exist in the real world. They are only words on a paper, in a dictionary.  

And god based religions arent better then any other "religion".

[Yellowtail]

45 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

All "religions" have 3 main pillars, power, greed, money. If you try to touch one of those, you are out.

True democracy, communism dont exist in the real world. They are only words on a paper, in a dictionary.  

And god based religions arent better then any other "religion".

You seem really smart. Are you a philosophy professor? 

[mfd101]

In my view there is no such thing as 'innocent civilians' (at least amongst adults). All governments everywhere - including dictatorships - get where they are thru the votes and based on the culture of the populace at large. That applies to Hitler or Stalin or Mao as much as to Trump or Biden or Prayut & the boys.

 

The 'innocent civilians' of Gaza voted for Hamas to be their government in 2006 and Hamas have been in place ever since, sacrificing their own citizens whenever it suits them. And Israelis have voted for Netanyahu many times from 1996.

 

The citizens of every country - including the totalitarian ones - get the government they deserve. Same applies to Thailand.

[xtrnuno41]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

You seem really smart. Are you a philosophy professor? 

I dont know if im smart, maybe others think im stupid. It is just my opinion, based on what i see, hear, read or live.

I can read your comment in 3 ways.

[ifmu]

this crapola has been going on for 75 years or so 

does anyone think it will stop now ?

 

 

[Yellowtail]

4 hours ago, ifmu said:

this crapola has been going on for 75 years or so 

does anyone think it will stop now ?

 

 

yes