Israel can't win this or any future conflicts by bombing Gaza

[bemildred]

A popular colloquial definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Israel launched military campaigns in 2008 and 2012, purportedly to eliminate Hamas' rocket-launching capabilities from the Gaza Strip. Obviously, the campaigns failed: Hamas is again unleashing a barrage of rockets and Israel is again bombarding Gaza. Israel cannot win this war, primarily because it is fighting only the symptoms of the conflict with the Palestinians — rocket launching — not the underlying causes, which are the Gaza blockade and the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The range of Hamas' rockets was about 50 miles in 2012, reaching cities such as Ashdod. Today, some rockets have traveled nearly 100 miles, targeting Tel Aviv and even Haifa. Hamas launched more than 800 rockets in the first six days — more than it did in 21 days in 2008. Israel has launched more than 1,300 airstrikes on Gaza in those first six days.
lRelated What to do when an Israeli-Palestinian 'peace' is out of reach

Seventeen members of the extended family of Tayseer Batsh, the Hamas police chief, were killed by one such airstrike — the largest number from one family in a single attack in the three conflicts. We don't know how long the current conflict will last, but it could prove more punishing this time.

The heavy bombardment of Gaza only deepens the Israelis' problem rather than solving it. Over the last 47 years, Israel has systematically created one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world in the Gaza Strip. The more targets Israel destroys, the more frustration grows among the Gazans. The surviving relatives, neighbors and friends of those killed, and the rest of Gazan society, are more exasperated than ever by the Israeli blockade. Increased frustration within a besieged Gaza is what pushed things to the edge in the first place.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-sharqieh-israel-gaza-20140716-story.html#navtype=outfit

[Jefferson23]

1. Surrounded by losers.

To prevent another tragic war in the future, things must change.Palestinians mainly need two things: dignity and bread. Israel must end the occupation in general and the Gaza blockade in particular.


But yes, of course...hard part is replacing the idiots on both sides.

[hack89]

2. The Gaza blockade is a symptom of another underlying problem

namely Hamas' never ending attempts to bring more powerful weapons into Gaza.

[cheyanne]

3. The Isrealis should know: ideas never die.

A. Accept the fact that the Palestinians are not going away.

For how long did the Jews say "next year in Jerusalem" before they actually got to Jerusalem?

Israel is implementing a solution based on violent removal of individuals, not the causes for the extremism.

So plan on a forever occupation.

B. You can't negotiate with a non-existent country or an adversary that has no power.

Provide the basis for Palestinians to actually build a society. People are known to become less extreme if they have safety, food, shelter.

C. "If you want peace, work for justice" (Pope Paul VI).

[bemildred]

4. Hamas sets Gaza ceasefire conditions

Militant group Hamas has set out the conditions it requires before signing a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Two days ago Hamas dismissed an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire on the grounds that it did not meet “our people's aspirations” or “the conditions of the resistance.” Israel initially accepted the terms.

According to Dr. Mehmet Sahin, an associate professor of international relations at Gazi University in Ankara, Hamas’ reaction was tempered by its distrust of Egypt nearly as much as Israel.

A previous Egyptian deal in 2012, under then President Mohammed Morsi, was broken by Israel. This followed the eight-day Pillar of Defense operation that saw at least 43 Palestinian civilians killed.

http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/359725--hamas-sets-gaza-ceasefire-conditions

[sabbat hunter]

5. some of the comments from

Dr. Sahin are LOLtastic

Sahin told the Anadolu Agency that Hamas does not believe the conflict can be solved through a ceasefire.

He said: "This is not the first time Israel has attacked Palestine. When a ceasefire is proposed, Israel agrees to it immediately pretending to be a peace dove."

He added: "Israel made Egypt propose a ceasefire and the blockade of the Gaza Strip is imposed both by Israel and Egypt."

The bolded part is just a bit of the LOLs.