Thinking About the Israel/Hamas War

I read “Israel is bad” or “Hamas is bad” arguments, one-sided with little nuance or consideration of issues faced by the opposition or by civilians.

I read “Ceasefire Now” arguments with no explanation of what can happen next.

I read “Two State Solution” arguments that seem to ignore the history of this diplomatic idea.

For the “Israel is bad” faction:

What resolutions to this war, do they recommend?
How should Hamas be held accountable for 10/7?
If Israel embraced a ceasefire now, what do they believe Hamas will do?
How do they suggest Israel get the remaining hostages returned?
How would they fight an enemy ensconced in tunnels under an urban civilian landscape?
Where in this approach is any responsibility, blame, accountability assigned to Hamas?

For the “Hamas is bad” faction:

Do they believe all Palestinians are evil, culpable for 10/7, and thus should be destroyed, or at least are of no concern should they become collateral damage?
Do they believe Hamas’s self-articulated mission, rejecting Israel’s right to exist, or the evil facts of 10/7, justify any Israeli response?
Do they believe Israel is free to seek justice, revenge, retribution, genocide, or none of these goals?
Do they believe that if Hamas is annihilated there will be no more terror attacks upon Israel?

For those calling for “Ceasefire now,” including several hostage families:

Do they believe Hamas will return the remaining hostages simply due to a ceasefire?
Do they believe a ceasefire would end the war?
Do they equate ceasefire with peace?
Is a ceasefire the same as justice?

For those calling for a “Two State Solution”:

Why are people continuing to propose this political “solution,” which has been discussed since 1937, when people in the MENA do not own it and many do not want it?
How can a two-state arrangement be set up when one, if not both, people groups believe the other holds no right to even exist – as a people group, much less as a nation state?

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