A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To Jerusalem: Gaza/Israel conflict

[myboynoah]

I don't see Israel knocking out the Iranian regime. A funny thing happens when people get bombed: they tend to hate those bombing them and rally around their country's leadership.

That said, Israel could knock out infrastructure (like petroleum) which is very important to the Iranian economy and try to knock out nuclear weapons facilities. Also, they will obviously try to take out defense targets and maybe leadership.

[Maximus]

the best they can do is the reactors, that is the same as declaring war so I just dont see it. maybe some missle sites? I dunno.

israel wants the US to do it with them when it eventually happens

[myboynoah]

the best they can do is the reactors, that is the same as declaring war so I just dont see it. maybe some missle sites? I dunno.

israel wants the US to do it with them when it eventually happens

Why wouldn't they take out the reactors if they can get to them? Those are the crown jewels. I bet those missiles are mobile, so hard to nail down.

[Maximus]

Why wouldn't they take out the reactors if they can get to them? Those are the crown jewels. I bet those missiles are mobile, so hard to nail down.

I suspect they would react at about the same level as bombing tehran or leadership. I just dont see it without a willing US administration

[Maximus]

good article from the best conservaive outlet

https://thedispatch.com/article/hama...-gazans-agree/

The infamous 2006 elections that first swept Hamas to power—which took place before half of the enclave’s current population was even born—were much more indicative of Palestinians’ disapproval of the Palestinian Authority than their enthusiastic backing of Hamas itself. Once the Islamist group began consolidating its grip on Gaza and civilians began experiencing the consequences of life under Hamas’ rule—prioritizing “resistance” over governance and blaming all failures on Israel—the group’s popularity gradually waned.

Over the past year, it’s cratered. The Tony Blair Institute, for example, commissioned Zogby Research Services to survey Palestinians in July and August—conducting “face-to-face polling across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip”—and the results were astounding. Only 7 percent of Palestinians in Gaza told pollsters they wanted Hamas to continue governing the coastal enclave, and almost 9 in 10 (87 percent) said Hamas is responsible for the current conflict in the Strip—slightly more than said Israel is responsible. More than 8 in 10 said they would not consider taking a job with Hamas. The findings seem to confirm what I’ve long known: that the Palestinian people in Gaza are seeking change and a different future away from Hamas.

My own anti-Hamas sentiments and views are shared by large segments of the population in the Gaza Strip, far greater than a mere simple majority, who hope that the group can never again hold them hostage to its political failures and ideological extremism. Most, however, are afraid of speaking out. For one, doing so in an undemocratic society under an Islamist authoritarian group is incredibly dangerous. Furthermore, the tribal mindsets that proliferate in Gaza’s illiberal society make it difficult for Palestinians to speak out against their own people amid a horrendous war with Israel, whom they do not want to be perceived as siding with.

Most concerning of all is that, despite being so clearly falsified and manipulated, the PCPSR polls—as well as videos depicting a few thousand Palestinians celebrating Hamas’ attacks as though all Palestinians were on board—were successfully used to propagate the entrenched narratives of hardliners on both sides of the conflict. The data were especially potent in demonizing the people of Gaza and fueling the narrative that Palestinians could only be salvaged through a dramatic process of deradicalization. But as a Palestinian with ties to Gaza, I can tell you: They are not cheering for Hamas. Unfortunately, until now, no one listened.

Observing the severe disconnect between what the people of the coastal enclave truly think and the perceptions of Gazans from actors in the West has been heartbreaking—particularly from the hordes of global “pro-Palestine” activists. These “activists” proclaim from the safety of their lives in the Western world that the “resistance” is justified. Yet it is the Palestinians in Gaza who continue to suffer the deathly consequences of Hamas’ supposed “resistance”—and there’s no end to their misery in sight.

based on this poll

Following the 7 October assault on Israel by Hamas and the killing of Israelis and abduction of hostages, the pursuant Israel-Hamas war has led to unprecedented Palestinian casualties and destruction in Gaza. Almost a year on, efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal face substantial obstacles, requiring intensive diplomatic efforts to create the conditions that will bring the war to an end in a way that provides Israel with the security it needs and Palestinians in Gaza with a different and better future.

In July and August 2024, we commissioned Zogby Research Services to carry out face-to-face polling across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, surveying the attitudes of Palestinians towards the war, the Palestinian leadership and the future of Gaza. The poll is the second in a series conducted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, focusing on Palestinian governance.

Our poll demonstrates that the population in Gaza is seeking a change, with the agency to govern themselves. When asked which entity they prefer to govern Gaza immediately after the war, only 7 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza said they wanted Hamas to govern the Strip. Gazans’ most popular choice is a Gazan administration of Gazan representatives, with international oversight and linked to the Palestinian Authority, or PA (29 per cent). In contrast, a plurality of West Bankers (38 per cent) prefers Hamas to govern Gaza post-war.

https://institute.global/insights/ge...ls-palestinian

[Northwestcoug]

Using questions based on my own observations and my conversations with fellow doctors and nurses, I worked with Times Opinion to poll 65 health care workers about what they had seen in Gaza. Fifty-seven, including myself, were willing to share their experiences on the record. The other eight participated anonymously, either because they have family in Gaza or the West Bank, or because they fear workplace retaliation.

This is what we saw.

multiple people saw children with single bullets to the head or chest.

You can read the rest for more terrible details.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nterviews.html

[Jeff Lebowski]

Israel confirms this morning that they killed the Hamas leader in Gaza. For some reason, he was dumb enough to be public and engaged with some Israeli soldiers. This is a big deal.

[Maximus]

how in the world was he chilling by himself

https://www.timesofisrael.com/livebl...he-was-killed/

[SteelBlue]

That's wild footage. Was he finished off by drone?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Wow. Zoom in.

Embedded Tweet

[SteelBlue]

I won't post it here because it's quite graphic, but there's easy to find video on Twitter from the photo above that shows the soldiers' inspection of the body and his possessions. That is indeed an exit wound you're kind of seeing in the above pic. In the video it's reminiscent of the Gus Fring death scene.

[USUC]

That's wild footage. Was he finished off by drone?

Based on the exit wound, I bet it was an IDF sniper. My guess is the drone offered coordinates.

[USUC]

how in the world was he chilling by himself

https://www.timesofisrael.com/livebl...he-was-killed/

It also looks like his right hand is missing already when he throws that stick at the drone. They had to have engaged him prior to the drone footage of him.

[Maximus]

I wonder how long it will take to consolidate power to anyone to evenatually negotiate the hostages, if ever. maybe, some will turn them in? probably false hope. who knows when they actually find out he's dead in tunnels so shrug.

cant get worse for chances so maybe someone wants out in the end and leads a ceasefire.

[frank ryan]

I wonder how long it will take to consolidate power to anyone to evenatually negotiate the hostages, if ever. maybe, some will turn them in? probably false hope. who knows when they actually find out he's dead in tunnels so shrug.

cant get worse for chances so maybe someone wants out in the end and leads a ceasefire.

I highly doubt Hamas has incentive to keep them alive, and resources to keep them alive are further strained. I hope more can be rescued but I think Israel wanted to show they'd be unmoved by hostage taking.