Trump Reiterates Warning to Hamas on Hostage Release

[Bkk Brian]

3 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Probably from Palestinian young men whose parents have been bombed.

Others whose kids were bombed.

Or maybe homeless men because their houses were bombed.

And maybe a few who had their cars bombed.

And probably a lot who have had their businesses bombed.

A few Uni students who had their university bombed. 
 

etc etc 

 

If any of those things happened to me I would be signing up. 

Lots of unsubstantiated maybes there along with etc & etc 

 

No surprise you'd sign up though

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Probably from Palestinian young men whose parents have been bombed.

Others whose kids were bombed.

Or maybe homeless men because their houses were bombed.

And maybe a few who had their cars bombed.

And probably a lot who have had their businesses bombed.

A few Uni students who had their university bombed. 
 

etc etc 

 

If any of those things happened to me I would be signing up. 

Take a poll of the population of Gaza.

 

Multiply the percentage support it indicates for Hamas by the population of Gaza and then factor in that the poll almost certainly does not sample the young people who so readily sign up for wars.

 

Of course Hamas are recruiting, the polls tell us there’s a large pool of supporters to recruit from.

 

And yes, atrocities committed on one’s own population is a driver for recruitment on both sides of any war.

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

Take a poll of the population of Gaza.

 

Multiply the percentage support it indicates for Hamas by the population of Gaza and then factor in that the poll almost certainly does not sample the young people who so readily sign up for wars.

 

Of course Hamas are recruiting, the polls tell us there’s a large pool of supporters to recruit from.

 

And yes, atrocities committed on one’s own population is a driver for recruitment on both sides of any war.

 

 

Of course Hamas are recruiting, the polls tell us there’s a large pool of supporters to recruit from.

 

You making things up again

[Nick Carter icp]

15 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Probably from Palestinian young men whose parents have been bombed.

Others whose kids were bombed.

Or maybe homeless men because their houses were bombed.

And maybe a few who had their cars bombed.

And probably a lot who have had their businesses bombed.

A few Uni students who had their university bombed. 

etc etc 

If any of those things happened to me I would be signing up. 

 

  Its will be their  own choice , whether to keep attacking Israel or to live in peace .

   They can choose to keep fighting or choose to live in peace 

[Bkk Brian]

Here's some facts from someone who knows.

 

This Palestinian has lost 30 of his family members in Gaza, many via Israeli air strikes.

 

Unless a mass awakening happens & Hamas is truly delegitimized, exposed, ostracized, shamed & deservedly made into a violent terror Islamist pariah, nothing good will happen to the Palestinian people in Gaza in 2025. Think, speak & act accordingly. Save Gazans from Hamas 

https://x.com/afalkhatib/status/1874305969754431797

 

[freedomnow]

Haha, yes...Israel been having a real tricky time tying that up...along with their border security breach late 2022.

Best SIGINTEL country next to USA in the world... pin-point death hits on command leaders in surrounding countries, yet they dropped the ball on those 2 fronts....uhu.

[Patong2021]

9 hours ago, candide said:

They already have a target on their head by the Israeli (and we all know how efficient they can be). Would they think that Trump may be a greater tnreat to them than the Israeli? 😆

 

Yes. Qatar hosts the Hamas leadership and their large fat bank  accounts. If Qatar was serious about mediating peace, they would not be allowing  Hamas leadership to lounge about in their. luxury villas. The US will put some pressure on Qatar. It won't be a pleasant outcome. Some of the Hamas leadership may be forced back to Gaza where they can experience the hardships first hand.

[Cryingdick]

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I am sure Hamas is quaking in their boots over the threat from the goombah. 

 

"Don't"

[honcho]

20 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hamas has survived over a year being attacked by the most moral army on the planet, so I doubt something a blustering bufoon in the US is wobbling on about is going make them give the hostages up without a ceasefire and resumption of aid, at the least.

wait and see the magic Donny weaves, remember unless cheated, Donny always wins....

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Jaggg88 said:

They've survived a year hiding behind civilians, schools and hospitals and all this without a care for the people they're supposed to represent.

Somewhat pathetic deflection from what I said.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, honcho said:

wait and see the magic Donny weaves, remember unless cheated, Donny always wins....

Given I do not support Trump's opinions of the M E at all, I expect to be severely disappointed by what he does there. He made it worse last time by moving the embassy and I assume it'll just get worse for Palestinians once he becomes POTUS.

The only glimmer of hope is that Saudi does not this time go along with his plans, and I doubt any Arab country will be supporting him.

[Social Media]

Post removed for contravening a number of the forums community standards. @MalcolmB you have just returned from a forum holiday to read the rules. Carry on like that & another will be due.

 

Do not snip quotes out of context and then follow that with false inflammatory claims.

[candide]

9 hours ago, honcho said:

wait and see the magic Donny weaves, remember unless cheated, Donny always wins....

Remember you are lying. 😆

He lost flat and square in 2020.

[candide]

12 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Yes. Qatar hosts the Hamas leadership and their large fat bank  accounts. If Qatar was serious about mediating peace, they would not be allowing  Hamas leadership to lounge about in their. luxury villas. The US will put some pressure on Qatar. It won't be a pleasant outcome. Some of the Hamas leadership may be forced back to Gaza where they can experience the hardships first hand.

Are they still residing in Quatar? It seems they are now hosted by Turkey

 

This is from November:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/08/politics/qatar-hamas-doha-us-request/index.html

 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-confirms-departure-of-hamas-leaders-says-groups-doha-mission-may-remain/

 

 

[Jaggg88]

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Somewhat pathetic deflection from what I said.

It is not a deflection at all. Your statement that Hamas has survived against the odds is true but only because they hide behind schools and hospitals. The truth can never be described as pathetic but it does sometimes hurt, so keep sucking on your dummy.

[Bkk Brian]

Still hope for some sort of deal to take place.

 

This from 2nd Jan

 

Israeli negotiators to head to Qatar amid some reported progress in hostage talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he had okayed sending an Israeli delegation for talks in Qatar on a hostage-ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.

The latest announcement came after reports in recent days indicated that the negotiations between Israel and Hamas had reached an impasse.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that “Netanyahu authorized a working-level delegation from the Mossad, Shin Bet and IDF to continue negotiations in Doha.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-negotiators-to-head-to-qatar-amid-some-reported-progress-in-hostage-talks/

 

Hamas said willing to free only 22 of 34 living hostages demanded by Israel in deal

Palestinian terror group Hamas has partially rejected a list of hostages that Israel insists must be released in the first phase of any ceasefire deal, according to a Monday report.

Kan news, citing an unnamed Palestinian source, said Hamas is willing to release 22 of the 34 hostages on the list, but is refusing to agree to the release of the other 12. Instead, the report stated, the group offered to release 22 living hostages and 12 bodies during the first phase of a potential deal.

Israel turned down the notion and made it clear that it would only accept living hostages during the initial stage of a deal, the report added.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-said-willing-to-free-only-22-of-34-living-hostages-demanded-by-israel-in-deal/

 

https://x.com/ariel_oseran/status/1874840033590440014

 

[Bkk Brian]

That said, I found this a really interesting X thread written by the Director of the  The Abraham Accords Peace Institute among other titles.

 

Time for a reality check regarding a hostage deal.

To be clear, it may be that the right thing to do, morally or strategically, is to make a deal. But let's look reality in the face and be honest about what's on the table:

1. Hamas will never release all of the living hostages. It will always keep a few as an 'insurance policy'. This is horrible, but true.

2. The dilemma facing Israel is this: In return for the release of some of the hostages, withdraw from Gaza, enable Hamas to retake control of the Strip, and allow for reconstruction, which means, in practice, that Hamas will rebuild its arsenal and terror tunnels, and return to launching terror attacks from Gaza.

Again, it may be that the right decision, strategically or morally, is to agree to such a deal. Especially today as Israel's deterrence has been somewhat restored. But let’s be clear about the choice Israel is facing. All of the Israeli 'security experts' smugly explaining that we can pull out, get back *all* of the hostages, and then go back in, are wrong and lying to the public. Hamas is evil, but not stupid.

3. No amount of demonizing Netanyahu and the current Israeli government is going to change Hamas' calculations and core demands. It will only harden Hamas' positions.

Tragically, if those protesting for a hostage deal spent 1/10 of the energy pressuring Qatar as they do pressuring Israel, we would likely be much closer to a deal.

4. If today, Israel pulls out of Gaza and a 'technocratic' Palestinian government is set up, Hamas will remain the dominant force on the ground, and will continue to take control of whatever construction materials, fuel, electronics etc. enter the Strip. All international oversight mechanisms have failed in Gaza, and there is no reason to believe, beyond self-illusions and wishful thinking, that future ones will succeed.

5. No Arab country will fight Hamas terrorists in Gaza for Israel. No Western power or Arab country will effectively prevent arms smuggling into Gaza. Only Israel can do this.

6. Destroying Hamas as the dominant military and governing power in Gaza is possible. As long as Israel controls Philadelphi and the border crossings, Hamas cannot bring in high-quality weapons or significantly rebuild its weapons factories. Hamas might be able to claim that it is ‘signing up’ new members, but it cannot actually train them.

Destroying Hamas as the dominant force on the ground will require expanded and consistent military operations, and the end of the current practice whereby massive amounts of fuel and food are transferred regularly to Hamas by the IDF and international community. (Instead, the aid should be delivered, by the IDF or private companies, directly to designated humanitarian zones within Gaza.)
Such expanded military operations may put more pressure on Hamas to agree to a better deal. But they are unlikely to result in the return of all or most of the hostages. We also must recall that we do not know how many of the hostages are still alive. Whether sustained and expanded operations are feasible at this point is a question in light of the burden on Israel’s reserve soldiers.

Bottom Line: There is nothing I, like all Israelis, would like to see more than each and every one of the hostages returning home. It is heart-breaking and maddening that it is 2025, and they are still being held by Hamas. But unfortunately, because of the tremendous emotion around the hostage issue, the Israeli and international discourse is too often disconnected from the hard dilemmas actually on the table. Israel’s leaders, responsible for making these extremely-hard decisions, with direct consequences for the security of all Israelis, need to look at reality straight in the face.

https://x.com/fredman_a/status/1874399702487023700

[Patong2021]

6 hours ago, candide said:

Are they still residing in Quatar? It seems they are now hosted by Turkey

 

This is from November:

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/08/politics/qatar-hamas-doha-us-request/index.html

 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-confirms-departure-of-hamas-leaders-says-groups-doha-mission-may-remain/

 

 

 

Fair point.  However, the Hamas appartchik families remain  in Qatar as do their bank accounts. Yes some have left, but Hamas is wary of Erdogan and his  designs of Turkey once again dominating the Arabs, so they  won't fully relocate. They  would be nuts to trust Erdogan. The man  has no hesitation in killing Arabs as seen by his actions in Syria and  against the Kurds. 

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, Jaggg88 said:

It is not a deflection at all. Your statement that Hamas has survived against the odds is true but only because they hide behind schools and hospitals. The truth can never be described as pathetic but it does sometimes hurt, so keep sucking on your dummy.

Hiding behind hospitals and schools?????????????????

You mean those hospitals and schools that have been destroyed with lots of women and children killed in the process?

Keep drinking the propaganda koolaid.

[Nick Carter icp]

On 1/2/2025 at 8:18 PM, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s nevertheless a report from the Jerusalem Post of Hamas recruiting.

 

Hamas need only add one recruit to be recruiting, the report suggests very many more than one recruit.

 

 

 

   Look at the big picture :

Hamas attacked Israel .

Biden encouraged Israel to show restraint

Israel wanted to go in and finish the job

Biden said No

Trump wanted Israel to also go in and finish the job .

20 more days until Trump is President .

Israel announce that Hamas are regrouping . 

Can you work out what's coming next ?

[Chomper Higgot]

4 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Look at the big picture :

Hamas attacked Israel .

Biden encouraged Israel to show restraint

Israel wanted to go in and finish the job

Biden said No

Trump wanted Israel to also go in and finish the job .

20 more days until Trump is President .

Israel announce that Hamas are regrouping . 

Can you work out what's coming next ?

That relates to my comment how?

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

That relates to my comment how?

 

   You claimed that Hamas are recruiting new members and you cited Israeli media as evidence of Hamas recruiting .

  

 

[Chomper Higgot]

49 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   You claimed that Hamas are recruiting new members and you cited Israeli media as evidence of Hamas recruiting .

  

 

I did.

 

Nothing in your response addressed that point.

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

15 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I did.

 

Nothing in your response addressed that point.

 

 

 

  My point was that Israel may have ulterior motives for announcing Hamas are recruiting more members 

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  My point was that Israel may have ulterior motives for announcing Hamas are recruiting more members 

They might.

 

Welcome to the acceptance that Israel has motivation to engage in misinformation.

 

Which does not in any sense confirm that your suggestion they are doing on this particular occasion is correct.