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In Strategic Bind, Israel Weighs Freeing Hostages Against Destroying Hamas
The New York Times ^ | Jan. 20, 2024 | Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley

Posted on 01/20/2024 10:05:00 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

After more than 100 days of war, Israel’s limited progress in dismantling Hamas has raised doubts within the military’s high command about the near-term feasibility of achieving the country’s principal wartime objectives: eradicating Hamas and also liberating the Israeli hostages still in Gaza.

Israel has established control over a smaller part of Gaza at this point in the war than it originally envisaged in battle plans from the start of the invasion, which were reviewed by The New York Times. That slower than expected pace has led some commanders to privately express their frustrations over the civilian government’s strategy for Gaza, and led them to conclude that the freedom of more than 100 Israeli hostages still in Gaza can be secured only through diplomatic rather than military means.

The dual objectives of freeing the hostages and destroying Hamas are now mutually incompatible, according to interviews with four senior military leaders, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly about their personal opinions.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Gaza; Hamas; Israel; News/Current Events; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bombsaway; gaza; hamas; hostages; israel; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; ntsa; nyts; patrickkingsley; propaganda; ronenbergman; waronterror
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1 posted on 01/20/2024 10:05:00 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

New York Slime

Five more Iranians involved with Hezbollah just began their long dirt naps. I believe Israel will continue to take it to the islamofascistnazis, wherever they are, for quite a while.


2 posted on 01/20/2024 10:11:00 PM PST by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try)
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To: MinorityRepublican

NYT = Bullshit


3 posted on 01/20/2024 10:11:26 PM PST by tomkat
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To: MinorityRepublican

Destroy Hamas completely or there will be more hostages and murders in their future. It’s horrid but they’ve left them no other good option.


4 posted on 01/20/2024 10:12:23 PM PST by Bullish (...And just like that, I was dropped from the ping-list)
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To: Bullish
Destroy Hamas completely or there will be more hostages and murders in their future.

I agree. That's the only decision.

5 posted on 01/20/2024 10:15:42 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican
Israel has established control over a smaller part of Gaza at this point in the war than it originally envisaged in battle plans from the start of the invasion, which were reviewed by The New York Times

Who, except a Traitor would let the New York Slimes review Israel's battle plans?


6 posted on 01/20/2024 10:15:43 PM PST by Col Freeper (Praise and Trust in the LORD in All Things at All Times.)
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To: Col Freeper

Same traitor who told Hamas about the Israel’s fence vulnerabilities on 10/7.


7 posted on 01/20/2024 10:17:19 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Wiping out a cell-based terror organization in its native territory where it enjoys pretty significant native support is impossible. This is completely different from ISIS which was hated by pretty much everyone it ruled over.

The neocons want this war to drag on to feed the MIC


8 posted on 01/20/2024 10:19:36 PM PST by GulliverSwift
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To: GulliverSwift

It worked in El Salvador.

9 posted on 01/20/2024 10:31:12 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

This is the angle the NYT is using now - Israel is divided and the war must end so the hostages can be released.
I swear the left are complete wackos. After what Hamas did, who in the army would be calling for “diplomacy”?


10 posted on 01/20/2024 11:11:34 PM PST by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
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To: MinorityRepublican

It’s a terrible emotional dilemma, but there should be no strategic dilemma: Destroy Hamas now! Anything less than total annihilation will just doom future Israelis to the same or even greater horrors as occurred on October 7th.


11 posted on 01/20/2024 11:39:32 PM PST by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

That was the story the second day of the crisis.
Hostage takers have the upper hand and the Muslims wait for the UN and wimpy peace advocates to say “don’t be too harsh in your mean, warlike actions as you try to free the hostages. You might kill some Hamas people and the human shield children nearby.”

No win situation from the start.


12 posted on 01/21/2024 12:11:34 AM PST by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

The choice between losing hostages and losing the nation of Israel was made by Hamas. The sacrifice of the hostages for the sake of the nation must happen. Hamas cannot be trusted for any agreement in exchange for hostages. The hostage taking has been a tool for a strategy that is designed to defeat the West. Make that tool useless and they have no strategy.


13 posted on 01/21/2024 12:35:00 AM PST by jonrick46 (Leftniks chase illusions of motherships at the end of the pier.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

There have been several times in my life when I have been tested. Do I save myself or do I fight to save others at the risk of my own life?

When I was caught in a rare flash flood on Long Island, I figured out how to escape my vehicle only to wade back into chest deep, black water to help an elderly man in his car.

When bullets were flying in an active shooter situation, I dashed across the lobby to lead two gentlemen trapped in the foyer to a safe room.

When I hemmoraghed with my third child, I begged the doctors to save my baby instead of me.

When a tornado was bearing down on my house, I wrapped my body over and around my young children, fully prepared to die to protect them from debris.

I’m not saying this to brag. I’m saying this because I am speaking from experience.

If I was a hostage of Hamas, I would want the Israelis to hunt down and destroy every last one of them...even if it meant I was collateral damage.

I do not hold my life cheaply, but some things are worth dying for. Making sure these savages are eradicated from the face of the earth is one of them.


14 posted on 01/21/2024 12:36:17 AM PST by TheWriterTX (🇺🇸✝️🙏🇮🇱)
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To: MinorityRepublican
After more than 100 days of war, Israel’s limited progress in dismantling Hamas That is a lie.
15 posted on 01/21/2024 12:39:09 AM PST by roving (Deplorable Listless Vessel Trumpist With Trumpitis and a Rainbow Bully)
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To: MinorityRepublican

That photo of those pitiful prisoners needs some explanation of what is happening. Could you provide some details? Link?


16 posted on 01/21/2024 12:40:25 AM PST by jonrick46 (Leftniks chase illusions of motherships at the end of the pier.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Bull!
The only way the terrorists ever release any kidnap victims is even forced to do so, the defeat of the Fakestinian murder gangsters is part and parcel towards any chance (and it is only a chance, admittedly, and not a great one) of getting the hostages back from their captors.
No contradiction.


17 posted on 01/21/2024 1:34:16 AM PST by faithhopecharity (“Politicians are not born. They're excreted.” Marcus Tillius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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To: noiseman
Anything less than total annihilation will just doom future Israelis to the same or even greater horrors as occurred on October 7th

Not many have the stomach or backbone to annihilate Hamas. It involves two things

1. Kill every single person in Hamas and every known supporter including leaders, soldiers, merchants, bankers, teachers, journalists, lawyers, technicians ….. any and all who support or have favorable views of Hamas needs to be killed.

2. Instill more fear of Israel than of Hamas by destroying and killing as many people and buildings as possible in order to have the “civilian” populace snitch on any Hamas and offer NO safe place for support or training.

18 posted on 01/21/2024 2:40:21 AM PST by Dick Vomer (2 Timothy 4:7 "deo duce ferro comitantes" <p><b></B><P> <img src="">)
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To: Dick Vomer

There won’t be peace in Gaza in Gaza until the paleostainians are vacated.
Send them home to Mecca , Tehran or Allah. Damn, send the whole works to Allah and let him sort it out.


19 posted on 01/21/2024 2:51:41 AM PST by himno hero (had'nff 8)
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To: jonrick46

Its from a very famous set of pictures of the El Salvador crackdown on MS-13 in 2022.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvadoran_gang_crackdown


20 posted on 01/21/2024 3:24:34 AM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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