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Tomorrow will mark an agonizing nineteen months since the October 7th invasion and massacre. Nineteen months since Israel watched their citizens be abducted and held as hostages.
Israel, while vowing retribution, had to try and make deals with the Hamas terrorists to try and get hostages returned to them. We have now seen two rounds of hostages being released in exchange for prisoners and terrorists being held in Israeli prisons. During those hostage releases, we saw the worst kind of demented pageantry and propaganda from Hamas, along with the horrific and grotesque return of the Bibas children’s bodies, and the gut-wrenching “mix-up” that saw their mother Shiri’s body returned a day later.
It is understandable why Israel has displayed the restraint that they have. First of all, when October 7th happened, Joe Biden was president, and his support for Israel doing what was necessary started off with strong words, then melted away into tepid support, and then into outright opposition by blocking the sale of certain weapons, along with the construction of an idiotic and useless pier in Gaza. Second, too much of the western world, after offering useless words of sympathy after October 7th, began blaming Israel for any response if it so much as harmed the hair on the head of a “civilian” – never mind that Hamas was hiding behind civilians. Third, the Israeli government was desperate to get as many hostages as possible out alive – and that meant, as they had done before, making perpetual deals with the devil to do it.
There have been so many times in the last nineteen months where Israel has seemed so close to throwing in the towel and simply doing what is necessary in order to eliminate Hamas. With President Trump’s planned visit to the region next week, Israel has now issued an ultimatum to Hamas. By the time President Trump leaves the Middle East a week from Friday, they want all the hostages released and a ceasefire deal in place. Otherwise, the IDF will move into Gaza and set up a military occupation.
A senior defense official said Monday afternoon that the name of the new operation approved overnight by the security cabinet for expanded action in the Gaza Strip is “Gideon’s Chariots.” The official clarified that forces will use the coming period to prepare, but will not begin maneuvering in Gaza until after U.S. President Donald Trump concludes his visit to the Middle East, which includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates between May 13 and 16.
“Unlike in the past, the IDF will remain in any territory it captures, to prevent the return of terrorism, and will operate in each cleared area according to the Rafah model, where all threats were neutralized and the area became part of the security buffer zone,” the official said.
He added that Israel will bring humanitarian aid into Gaza “after the start of operational activity and a large-scale evacuation of civilians to the south,” and noted: “A humanitarian plan will be implemented, as presented yesterday by the IDF and approved by the cabinet, that distinguishes between the aid and Hamas by using civilian companies and designating areas that will be secured by the IDF. This includes a sterile zone in the Rafah area beyond the Morag route, where entrants will be screened by the IDF to prevent Hamas operatives from gaining access.”
The re-occupation of Gaza, which Israel handed over in an attempt to offer land for peace twenty years ago, may be the one thing that motivates Hamas to start handing over hostages.
Naturally, the European Union is very “concerned.” About Palestinian civilians, not the current condition of the living Israeli hostages, one of whom is an American citizen.
“The European Union is concerned at the planned extension of the operation by Israeli forces in Gaza, which will result in further casualties and suffering for the Palestinian population. We urge Israel to exercise the utmost restraint,” European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said during a press briefing Monday.
The Israeli plan reportedly includes capturing and occupying territory in the Gaza Strip, where it has been waging war against Hamas militants since October 2023.
Responding to a question from POLITICO on whether the EU is considering sanctions should Israel disregard its calls, El Anouni said: “I will not enter into any speculations on any foresight or any reactions that we might have. But our position is quite clear, and we will be re-calling it as much as necessary.
“We are not asking nicely, we are repeating our call,” he added.
So, what is Hamas’s response right now?
A senior Hamas official has said the armed group is not interested in further talks on a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal while Israel continues what he called its “starvation war”.
Israel cut off all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza nine weeks ago and later resumed its military offensive, saying it was putting pressure on Hamas to release hostages.
But Bassem Naim said there was “no point in any negotiations” while the blockade remained in place.
“There is no point in any negotiations or engagement with new proposals while [Israel] continues its starvation war against our people in the Gaza Strip – a war that the international community, including UN institutions, has deemed a war crime in itself,” he said.
Hamas also put out a separate statement telling Israeli ministers that their approval of the expanded offensive represented “an explicit decision to sacrifice” Israeli hostages.
The UN, naturally, has had their panties in a twist over the blockade. Hamas starts this war, and the UN expects Israel to feed them. I’ve never understood this logic.
A spokesman for the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Israeli plan “appears designed to further control and restrict supplies, which is the opposite of what is needed”, adding that aid should never be used as a way of forcing populations to move.
Jens Laerke told a news conference in Geneva that the UN would not co-operate with the plan because it would “not live up to the core fundamental humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independent delivery of aid”.
“Impartiality means aid is provided on needs alone, not based on trying to get people to go somewhere,” he said. “Then neutral and independent: it is extremely important that [those receiving aid] see a neutral provider that they have nothing to fear from.”
The UN has said Israel is obliged under international law to ensure food and medical supplies for Gaza’s population. Israel has said it is complying with international law and there is no aid shortage because thousands of lorry loads entered during the ceasefire.
The UN has been such a bang-up failure in Gaza that I’m all for Israel cutting them and Hamas straight out of the supply chain. President Trump has offered aid to Gaza (minus the stupid pier), but has said Hamas is the roadblock.
JUST IN: Trump vows to help the people of Gaza get access to food:
"We're going to help the people of Gaza get some food. People are starving and we're going to help them get some food… Hamas is making it impossible because they're taking everything that's brought in." pic.twitter.com/pYI6RZgoAW
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) May 5, 2025
It’s been made clear repeatedly that Hamas does not give a crap about the civilian population of Gaza. In fact, they have targeted, tortured, and killed those who dare speak out against them. The aid blockade has gotten the population’s attention. A re-occupation of Gaza itself will be impossible to ignore.
Israel probably doesn’t want the responsibility of policing Gaza, but it has no options left. In order to eliminate Hamas and rescue the remaining hostages, they are going to have to take over. Hamas has made it painfully clear that they have no intention of giving up their remaining hostages, because if they do, they give up the last of their leverage. The fact that Hamas is saying that Israel is choosing to “sacrifice” hostages if they re-occupy Gaza in a new offensive tells us everything we need to know. To them, the hostages are human shields, pawns to be “sacrificed” if they don’t get their way.
A re-occupation of Gaza is going to cost lives – perhaps the hostages’ lives, perhaps Gazan civilian lives, and perhaps the lives of those in the IDF. This could all be prevented if Hamas simply surrendered to the inevitable and came back to negotiate. They have a deadline, and the clock is ticking.
Featured image: flag of Israel by edu_castro27 via Pixabay, cropped and modified, Pixabay license
I have been saying all along that Israel needs to classify all of the hostages as the unfortunate casualties of war, whose deaths they greatly regret, and move in without any regard to saving them. That would be cold-hearted and callous, but it is the only policy that makes sense militarily. The hostages are Hamas only point of strength, and declaring them all to be dead removes that bargaining chip.
Israel has traded their terrorist prisoners for hostages at a rate of hundreds to one. It needs to be remembered that Israel traded 1,027 prisoners for Cpl Galid Shalit, one man, and one of the prisoners sent back was Yahya Sinwar, and look how well that turned out!
Israel should seize all of Gaza, expel all of the ‘Palestinians’, and turn it over to Jewish settlers. Within a year it will be entirely cleaned up, and a paradise within five.
If the Arabs return, it will remain the [insert vulgar term for feces here]hole it always has been.
GWB says: Three and ten, IMO. But yes.
GWB says: never mind that Hamas was hiding behind civilians
Not quite the right wording. They were hiding as civilians. This means not just pretending to be civilians, but also that a great many of what we might call “civilians” are really auxiliaries for Hamas, providing support to their military/terrorist activities. (You know, things like hiding hostages.)
making perpetual deals with the devil to do it
That’s the problem with “negotiating with terrorists” – once you do it, you will ALWAYS have to do it.
The right answer is to provide them the opportunity to do the right thing, then offer up the hostages’ safety to God, and utterly destroy the enemy. I’m not adverse to the occasional pause for the possibility of returning remaining hostages and the capitulation of the enemy. But you want your enemy to understand for a century or more that you just don’t dare do that sort of thing.
not the current condition of the living Israeli hostages
You’re assuming facts not in evidence. We can hope they’re alive, but it’s pretty unlikely at this point.
European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said
Yep. Europe is now nothing more than a partially subdued dhimmi portion of the Caliphate. Write them off and leave them to their fate.
waging war against Hamas militants
This is how they try to make it sound like Israel is blowing things out of proportion. “Oh, it’s just militants. That shouldn’t require a military operation to handle; maybe a few police. But it certainly shouldn’t involve disturbing the entire populace.” When, in reality, the “militants” are at least 80% of the adult population, and probably the same number from the ages of 5 to 18.
We are not asking nicely, we are repeating our call
Israel can next expect a sternly worded letter, I presume. Feh.
its “starvation war”.
For all you Prog dingle-berries out there, THIS IS HOW WAR IS ACTUALLY FOUGHT. The whole point of a blockade (which an NGO recently tried to run, and got its yacht blowed up) is to prevent the enemy from having food or other supplies to continue its war effort. Only Proggie “elite” thinkers believe that real war isn’t a whole-of-society effort. If the people are screaming at the military/political leaders to stop the war because they’re starving and they refuse to fight any more, then the war usually stops.
The Proggies are already pulling this bulls*** with the Kashmir thing, too.
“no point in any negotiations” while the blockade remained in place.
OK. But that’s on you. The whole point of a blockade is to push you to the negotiating table. Of course, if I were on the other side of that table, there would only be one option (aside from total annihilation of Gaza) – total unconditional surrender with the return of every single hostage.
BTW, the point of negotiating is to bring an end (temporary or permanent) to the hostilities. It IS not the point to achieve a cessation in hostilities so that you can THEN negotiate.
I’ve never understood this logic.
It’s never been logic. It’s always been a corruption of Christian virtues by removing the moderator and cranking them to 11. The same idiocy where school principals (starting at least 45 years ago) punish the bully and the bullied when the bullied punches back. Also, see “Violence never solved anything.”
core fundamental humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independent delivery of aid
Which isn’t compassionate in the least. Because THE GAZANS ARE HAMAS. The humanitarian thing to to do is let the blockade have an effect, so the people demand Hamas surrender. Instead of sustaining the people (and the terrorists among them) to continue the war. Turning “humanitarian” into a suicide pact is one of the most evil things done by the Progs in their manipulation of language and mores.
obliged under international law
Not true. If the non-combatants were to be separated from the entirety of the “militants” this would be the case. But we know that’s not true under the government of Hamas or the oversight of the UN (since the UN personnel have been the terrorists).
Trump vows to help the people of Gaza get access to food
Told you he’s not a conservative. The right answer is “If you want your people fed, then SURRENDER and give up the hostages. Any other answer puts their starvation on YOUR heads.”
It’s been made clear repeatedly that Hamas does not give a crap about the civilian population of Gaza.
Actually, except for a small number of dissenters, what’s clear is that Hamas IS the civilian population of Gaza. The entire people wants to destroy Israel and the Jews. Dealing with them in any other way guarantees that they will be troubling your people just as the Canaanites troubled Israel for a couple thousand years. Oh. Wait….
I really hope that ticking is the sound of the timer on their own petard. Hamas needs to be blown to kingdom come.
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