The IDF has not committed a sufficient number of troops in Gaza to mount an effective search for the hostages & Hamas leadership. It would likely require a minimum of 7 or 8 divisions, an allocation that is currently impossible given the threat up north & the pressure from the Biden administration to scale back.
While i agree with those who've argued that prior lopsided prisoner deals have caused immense harm, in this instance, I believe that given the current difficult situation, Israel must bite the bullet & agree to such an exchange in order to bring our people back home.
As far as the number of IDF troops you might be right as they didn't go into Khan Yunis at the same time as when they concentrated in the north of Gaza. Under the leadership of every IDF Chief of Staff and Defense and Prime Minister for the last 25 years they have bet on a "small, smart army" and that bet was lost.
As for the exchange - I don't agree. I think a lopsided agreement against Israel would cause not only long tern harm but will bring people to the streets that will make last year's protests child's play.
I heard a military historian on Israeli TV last week. They asked him about the "unique" circumstances of having civilian hostages in the war. He pointed out that in 1948 there were civilian hostages in Arab hands and no one then spoke of stopping the fighting until they were returned. He also pointed out to Japan's taking of and maltreating many US and UK civilians during WWII. He said there was never talk of stopping the fighting to bring them home.
So this is not unique. What is unique is that there are a group of people so opposed to the current government that they are willing to support enemy positions - and this group has money and influence.
That is an excellent point. The Japanese held many American POWs and civilians of various sorts in terrible conditions and the idea of pausing the war to get them released was never mentioned and would not have been accepted if it had. The Germans held thousands of American POWs and no one was crying for their release.
The only alternative is to first destroy Hamas. It needs to be understood that taking hostages will accomplish nothing.
We must of course have deep sympathy for families of the hostages, but what about the next batch of hostages, and the next after that?
The IDF has not committed a sufficient number of troops in Gaza to mount an effective search for the hostages & Hamas leadership. It would likely require a minimum of 7 or 8 divisions, an allocation that is currently impossible given the threat up north & the pressure from the Biden administration to scale back.
While i agree with those who've argued that prior lopsided prisoner deals have caused immense harm, in this instance, I believe that given the current difficult situation, Israel must bite the bullet & agree to such an exchange in order to bring our people back home.
As far as the number of IDF troops you might be right as they didn't go into Khan Yunis at the same time as when they concentrated in the north of Gaza. Under the leadership of every IDF Chief of Staff and Defense and Prime Minister for the last 25 years they have bet on a "small, smart army" and that bet was lost.
As for the exchange - I don't agree. I think a lopsided agreement against Israel would cause not only long tern harm but will bring people to the streets that will make last year's protests child's play.
I heard a military historian on Israeli TV last week. They asked him about the "unique" circumstances of having civilian hostages in the war. He pointed out that in 1948 there were civilian hostages in Arab hands and no one then spoke of stopping the fighting until they were returned. He also pointed out to Japan's taking of and maltreating many US and UK civilians during WWII. He said there was never talk of stopping the fighting to bring them home.
So this is not unique. What is unique is that there are a group of people so opposed to the current government that they are willing to support enemy positions - and this group has money and influence.
That is an excellent point. The Japanese held many American POWs and civilians of various sorts in terrible conditions and the idea of pausing the war to get them released was never mentioned and would not have been accepted if it had. The Germans held thousands of American POWs and no one was crying for their release.
The only alternative is to first destroy Hamas. It needs to be understood that taking hostages will accomplish nothing.
We must of course have deep sympathy for families of the hostages, but what about the next batch of hostages, and the next after that?