Subject: Re: Qatar air force base on American soil
That's why some observers are pointing out that we don't know whether this "peace deal" will actually bring any peace. Hamas hasn't agreed to putting their weapons down. They don't get to "be a part of this" under the agreement as written; they are required to be completely out of power under the terms. So it remains to be seen whether they'll agree to it or not. If they don't, and the IDF is called in to "finish the job," that just means years more of war....so not exactly a "peace deal" to get a break in the fighting for a few weeks.


That's right. That's also why for me the main thing was the hostage deal and getting every last living hostage returned home. The next move belongs to Hamas. If they choose the bullet, so be it.

People will have plenty of sympathy for the Palestinians, even if Hamas keeps up "their nonsense." And they will certainly have blame for the Israelis if they keep going - again, not for killing Hamas, but for the impact on the Palestinians who are not Hamas.

Sure. This is where your Joe Average Palestinian enters the chat. Is that the existence they want, standing between their elected leaders and the IDF? Or is it some other way forward. You mentioned an "uprising" earlier...

So the Palestinian people aren't the ones who will decide what happens in Gaza, so your suggestion that the outcome in Gaza will depend on their choices - or what the standard of living is - is completely mistaken.

No it isn't. The losing side never decides what happens when the war is over; you're forgetting that.
Hamas isn't some splinter group among the Palestinians; they *are* the Palestinians. Until the Palestinians decide otherwise by taking off their green bandannas and going back to their families.