Presumably they factored Hamas not willingly handing over the hostages into their planning. If their contingency plan for meeting resistance was just to bomb areas full of civilians until they could get out, it still shows a lack of regard for Palestinian lives.
No disagreement on the blame that should be assigned to Israel here. But I think we should be holding Hamas to the same standard for holding hostages in populated areas, performing attacks in populated areas, and of course kidnapping in the first place, among other crimes.
Hamas is a terrorist organization that “we” have almost no leverage over.
Israel is a democracy that we have significant leverage over.
Put another way, the “serious” calls for harder policy from the US to Israel is to condition some of the military aid. The reasom no one is calling for something similar with Hamas is that we are not giving Hamas military aid.
The only aid western countries are giving to Gaza (and, by nessesity Hamas) is humanitarian aid. And international law is very clear that conditioning that is not acceptable.
If you are Iranian elite reading this, then you have no business blaming Israel, since Hamas is the one in your sphere.
Presumably they factored Hamas not willingly handing over the hostages into their planning. If their contingency plan for meeting resistance was just to bomb areas full of civilians until they could get out, it still shows a lack of regard for Palestinian lives.
No disagreement on the blame that should be assigned to Israel here. But I think we should be holding Hamas to the same standard for holding hostages in populated areas, performing attacks in populated areas, and of course kidnapping in the first place, among other crimes.
Hamas is a terrorist organization that “we” have almost no leverage over.
Israel is a democracy that we have significant leverage over.
Put another way, the “serious” calls for harder policy from the US to Israel is to condition some of the military aid. The reasom no one is calling for something similar with Hamas is that we are not giving Hamas military aid.
The only aid western countries are giving to Gaza (and, by nessesity Hamas) is humanitarian aid. And international law is very clear that conditioning that is not acceptable.
If you are Iranian elite reading this, then you have no business blaming Israel, since Hamas is the one in your sphere.