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Conflict in the Middle East

Hundreds of thousands of people in Israel are now protesting the government’s plans to push forward in Gaza and demanding a deal to release the hostages

180 replies

ThatCyanSheep · 18/08/2025 09:58

They’re demanding that the government agrees a deal to release the hostages and stop pushing the military effort forward.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-war-protests-tel-aviv-b2809283.html

Israeli frustration over the war in Gaza erupts into fierce protests

Protesters demanding a deal to free hostages in Gaza turned out in huge numbers in Tel Aviv on Sunday

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-war-protests-tel-aviv-b2809283.html

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1dayatatime · 20/08/2025 16:22

Wedonttalkaboutboris · 18/08/2025 10:12

It was never about the hostages- Israel doesn’t really want them back. Netanyahu doesn’t give a shit about the hostages. As long as the hostages exist inside Gaza, Israel can justify even more death and destruction.

If that was true then why doesn't Hamas release them all now?

Beachtastic · 20/08/2025 18:32

Twiglets1 · 20/08/2025 15:36

I think they didnt care enough to prepare to respond and defend.

Wow @TulipLavender it's not often Israel gets accused of not caring enough about their citizens.

Imagine what their response to 7/10 would have been if they actually cared, huh?

I wish it were true that it's not often Israel gets accused of this sort of thing.

Of course they were woefully underprepared. They completely underestimated what Hamas and the Gazan civilian mobs were capable of.

Netanyahu's policy regarding Hamas (see below as described by the woman posting the Israeli Jewish AMA thread that no one ever reads) seriously backfired. But dealing with terrorists usually does, so it's hard to know how he should have played it.

Overseas, most people joined the story on 7 Oct and saw Netanyahu just using a very harsh "stick" against Hamas. In Israel the criticism is exactly the opposite: Netanyahu spent the last 14 years offering every possible "carrot" to Hamas, strengthening them, allowing them to get huge amounts of money from Qatar, giving work permits, in order to play them off against the Palestinian Authority, and because he believed they would restrain their terror ambitions if they had economic incentives. In retrospect, that was not a successful policy (understatement).

I don't think there are any carrots to be offered to Hamas at this stage. I understand that Netanyahu's strengthening Hamas was part of a power play and not some kind of partnership with them, but by now they have made clear what they are about, which is a disaster for Israel and even more so for Gazan civilians, who have suffered both Hamas's rule and Israel's response.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/AMA/4967191-im-a-jewish-israeli-ama?postsby=israelilefty&page=4

Wedonttalkaboutboris · 20/08/2025 18:53

1dayatatime · 20/08/2025 16:22

If that was true then why doesn't Hamas release them all now?

I can’t claim to know Hamas’ internal tactics, but hostage-taking is clearly about leverage- prisoner swaps, political bargaining, whatever. That doesn’t make it right.

What’s undeniable is that Israel continues bombing, starving, and destroying Gaza regardless. Hostages or not, civilians- especially children- are paying the price.

Tamar2 · 21/08/2025 21:02

I think they may have been hoping to exchange the hostages for the Palestinian hostages held by Israel. According to save the children there are between 500 and 100 Palestinian children held prisoner in Israel each year and they are subject to physical and sexual violence www.savethechildren.org.uk/news/media-centre/press-releases/2023/stripped-beaten-and-blindfolded-new-research-reveals-ongoing-violence-and-abuse-of-palestinian-children-detained-by-israeli-military

Tamar2 · 21/08/2025 21:23

Between 500 and 1000 that should have said

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