[ April 30, 2024 ]
They cannot be rewarded.
https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1711090978407289000?s=20
Wait.
Are they talking about swapping the women and children for Palestinian terrorists or are they talking about clean release of women and children?
How is America working with Qatar, a world sponsor of Islamic terror and the country in which Hamas leadership resides? pic.twitter.com/3q8T66WNQy
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) October 9, 2023
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Hamas Demands Total Prisoner Release, Leaving Israel in a Catch-22
Israel faces impossible dilemma when deciding on the fate of its citizens in Hamas captivity
By: Jewish Journal, Ocotber 8, 2023:
Tomer Shpirer was riding his bicycle along Israel’s border with Gaza on a quiet Saturday morning. His mother, at home in a nearby kibbutz, called him urging him to come home as she realized something was going on. Rockets from Gaza were being fired.
“He answered the phone; he said he would come home immediately,” said his uncle, Simon Cifuentes. “And then the phone must have dropped and his mom heard curses and Arabic; it sounded like he was trying to run away.”
No one has spoken to us, we are helpless, we know nothing. Since yesterday we haven’t slept, we are like zombies.
Tomer’s whereabouts are unknown. His relatives have given DNA samples as they race between hospitals hoping he may be among the injured.
“No one has spoken to us, we are helpless, we know nothing. Since yesterday we haven’t slept, we are like zombies,” Cifuentes told The Media Line.
The Shpirer family is not alone.
Dozens of Israelis are believed to be being held captive by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip as part of a surprise offensive the organization launched on Israel over the weekend.
“There is still not a full understanding of the situation; we don’t know who has been kidnapped and who is dead, or missing,” said Dr. Eyal Pinko, from Bar-Ilan University’s Political Studies Department and an expert on military strategy and intelligence. “This is very natural in such a chaotic situation.”
Under a massive barrage of hundreds of rockets on early Saturday, Hamas fighters infiltrated communities adjacent to the Gaza border, taking advantage of the surprise to rampage through those Israeli communities.
Hauling captives back into the coastal enclave, including women, children, and elderly people proved that Hamas had success in capturing many hostages. This makes the current conflict between Israel and Hamas unlike any other previous confrontation.
Footage on social media showed Israeli civilians and soldiers, blindfolded, some partially clothed, being paraded through the streets of Gaza. Video of an elderly woman in a wheelchair with a terrorist standing next to her, symbolizing victory with his upraised hand, stunned Israelis.
Israel now faces a major dilemma. Israeli officials have not released the number of people abducted, but it is clear the number is unprecedented and such a scenario was never taken into consideration by the defense echelon.
Hamas is demanding the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a demand that is not new but now poses a major predicament for the current Israeli leadership, which is facing mounting public pressure to bring its citizens home.
“Israel has no choice but to release all the prisoners,” Pinko told The Media Line. “This is a strategic problem of a totally different magnitude and publicly there is no other alternative the government has, not even a partial prisoner swap which would see only civilians released.”
According to B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights watchdog, there are almost 4,500 Palestinian prisoners currently being held in Israeli jails. Throughout its history, Israel has carried out many prisoner swaps at high prices.
For the Palestinians, the release of prisoners is one of the highest goals of their ongoing struggle against Israel. For Israel, the release of captives is a sensitive subject.
Speaking hours after the violence began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas of dire consequences.
“I say to Hamas: You are responsible for their well-being. Israel will settle accounts with anyone who harms even a single hair on their heads.”
But Netanyahu’s threats may be empty ones. His government now has to decide whether to strike at Hamas, with the risk of it executing all the hostages in response, or negotiate with the terrorist organization in an attempt to release those hostages.
“There will be no negotiations any time soon,” said Gershon Baskin, who operated a secret and direct negotiating channel with Hamas for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. “The hostages are probably already at unknown locations underground, being divided up. Hamas’ opening demand of releasing all the prisoners is not in any way an opening point for negotiations and Israel has no interest in giving Hamas any concessions at this point in time.”
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7 Comments6 months agoMy comment was blocked so I’ll try again but I’ll keep it short and to the point.
We’re seeing the real Islam.
6 months agoReply to ZeusWe’re seeing the real reason Islam is winning or at least is never defeated once and for all — concessions, compromise, negotiation, appeasement. You cannot compromise with Islam.
Will Israel once again refuse to destroy Hamas once and for all because to save the hostages?
6 months agoExecute every Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails.. no trades, no quarter. Send them back half the pieces.
6 months agoDo the trade and then blow up gaza
6 months agoThe prisoners should be released so that they can be killed in the coming offensive.
D
