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[Darvi]

The way I've heard Israeli people talk about the world, whether they're national leaders or the citizenry, always reminds me of Russians. You actually remind me the most. A lot of the things you've said about the conflict in Gaza could have come out of the post-USSR politics thread.

You mean the whole "Everybody who isn't with us is out to get us, and conspiring to destroy us and all we believe in" thing?

[Owlbread]

You mean the whole "Everybody who isn't with us is out to get us, and conspiring to destroy us and all we believe in" thing?

That's it. That's the thing.

[smjjames]

You know, if Hamas (or Israel or WHOEVER is doing it) keeps breaking the cease fire or not abiding by it, then why do they keep trying to make a ceasefire deal?

It's like there are no consequences for breaking the ceasefire/truce, or Hamas doesn't care.

[Frumple]

Political posturing, mostly, or so I gather. That's really about all it seems to be. Neither appear to be particularly interested in negotiating in good faith, so it's mostly just political circus for everyone outside of the immediate conflict.

[10ebbor10]

Public relations. If one of the sides refuses to make truces, they are a warmongering menace to the world.

Breaking the truce is much easier. Hamas blames a splinter cell outside their control, the IDF says they were preventing an imminent attack.

[scriver]

I'm not sure why people keep expecting Hamas to be able to control every single part of it's organisation.

@smjjames - It's to fuel their propaganda machines. Yes, that goes for both sides.

[SharpKris]

so it's ok for Hamas to break their truce but we can't do nothing?

[Darvi]

so it's ok for Hamas to break their truce but we can't do nothing?

Nobody said that.

[SharpKris]

so it's ok for Hamas to break their truce but we can't do nothing?

Nobody said that.

Guess i overreacted, but to say Hamas can't be expected to control it's own men just pisses me off 

[Descan]

More like "Can't expect Hamas leadership to control everyone who calls themselves Hamas."

[GlyphGryph]

They can't be expected to control men that aren't theirs, though, and Israel sees all third party actors as defacto representative of Hamas, which is a problem (and yet when Israel can't control its own people, see: murdering that innocent palistinian kid, I would expect they, and you, don't think THAT sort of thing should break truces either, right?)

Not every act of violence during a truce should break the truce - only the state sponsored ones. And one side is in a lot worse position to control acts that aren't state sponsored, and both sides have difficulty doing so. Sometimes, yes, doing nothing in response to such events (especially if they don't actually cause any damage, like an intercepted rocket or one that lands in the middle of nowhere) is, in fact, the correct course of action.

[Leafsnail]

Hamas is a terrorist group.  It operates in cells.  It's gonna be hard to co-ordinate every cell to obey the ultra-short snap ceasefires Israel likes to declare, particularly if their command and communications infrastructure is blown up.

That said they seem to be able to abide by longer term agreements just fine.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4536174,00.html

[burningpet]

Mahmud Abbas, AKA Abu Mazen, AKA the Head of Fatah, AKA the slightly more moderates everyone wants to see back ruling the palestinian people, is apparently pretty mad at Mr Obama and Mr kerry for establishing a peace committee in paris between Israel and the Palestines, inviting representatives from Qatar and Turkey, while not inviting Fatah, Egypt nor Israel. I do wonder how you can actually make peace with three of the four relevant sides not present during the committee.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-fumes-at-kerry-over-alternative-ceasefire-bid/

Prince Turki bin Faisal, who was head of saudi arabia intelligence agency, says hamas is to blame for the death and destruction in gaza. the prince also criticize Turkey and Qatar attempt to leverage themselves as regional powers through meddling in the conflict and making hamas reject the egyptian initiative that israel also accepted. he says that since most of this conflict is revolving egypt, every initiative must go through the egyptians.
http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/601/459.html?hp=1&cat=404&loc=3 (Hebrew, sorry, couldn't find an english source)

A pretty interesting statement by the palestinian envoy to the UNHRC that he made around two weeks ago:
Headlines: Every rocket aimed at civlians and every attack against civilians we perform is a crime against humanity, that is why israel resorted to attacking gaza.

Israeli Settlements and chekcpoints are also a crime against humanity.

Regarding the current conflict. Israel warn palestines before they attack, we don't warn anyone before we shoot rockets or attack (my supplementing - through other means such as ground operations), which makes their (israel) attacks perfectly legal. so people should know what they are talking about before responding emotionally.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjzS27ylCZ8

[Frumple]

Regarding the current conflict. Israel warn palestines before they attack, we don't warn anyone before we shoot rockets or attack (my supplementing - through other means such as ground operations), which makes their (israel) attacks perfectly legal. so people should know what they are talking about before responding emotionally.

Okay, so can someone not BP explain this bughumping insane line of reasoning? I've never heard the argument that telling someone you're going to blow up their house (and then making no effort to check for actual evacuation, to boot) before doing so makes that a legal act.

[burningpet]

A) We check for evacuation, but that's not always possible.
B) This is not a civilian house since it houses rockets, offensive tunnel shafts or terrorists.

Israel doesn't simply destroy houses because it likes seeing rubble and smoke, it destroy houses that pose a threat.