From you point of view, what would be a justifiable response (by Israel and by the US) to the attack that was done by the Hamas on 7th of October?

I have always thought the principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was grounded in a tradition of enormous gravitas.

Figure out why the much hyped IDF professional forces got clowned on by Hamas would be where I’d start.

Bombing infrastructure, hospitals, and a dense city filled with civilians is not.

I'm curious what your answer is to this same question.

Raz Segal, an israeli historian and expert in modern genocides has called this "a textbook case of genocide." Is this where you stand on it? Or is there some sort of middle ground between genocide and another thing you'd like to occupy?

I am honestly and genuinely curious.

I'm just an armchair expert.

I think it's clear - what was done before is not working (including 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza, humanitarian aid and donations). It's clear that Hamas are dark age scum that need to be dealt with force. It's also clear that most of the population of Gaza supports Hamas, and that Hamas will also will use them as body-shields.

Now, I was born in a 3rd world country and had to deal with a lot of scum. You can't have a conversation with people like those: any concessions you make - will be considered as a weakness and you will be pushed even more.

I don't support Israel in what they do, but I don't see any other options I would choose if I was them.

Jesus fuck man it's a genocide get a grip. It's children. The median age is like 17, when you call these people "dark age scum" and call for their murder you're talking about kids. Coward shit.

If you kindly read my comment again, you will see that I DON'T call the general population of Gaza scum. It's Hamas, who are in my opinion, are scum.

If you disagree with that statement then I invite you to read more about the organization history, their worldview, their goals and actions.

I just want you to always and forever remember and admit that this is what you were doing during this. Hemming and hawing about who you can call scum without quite admitting to yourself you're advocating for genocide. You can never pretend that you didn't know what we were doing, or that you meaningfully opposed it.

I know what I'm doing, and I don't see myself advocating for genocide. Can you help me to understand where do you think I do that?

The organization of the gunmen has created a situation where military victory comes at incalculable moral cost. Probably intentionally. It is a deep personal test to see which outcome one thinks means "letting them win."

Personally I do not believe it is conscionable to drop a bomb on a bank where the staff is being held hostage even if it would probably hit the robbers.

There is a reason why most of governments don't negotiate with terrorists. Nothing good even came from other tactics in the long term.

There's a huge difference between not rewarding hostage takers with ransom and killing the hostages to kill the ransomers.

Agree, and I don't think Israel has a goal to kill hostages but to eleminate Hamas no matter the cost

Sure, but if that comes at the cost of the hostages they're killing the hostages to kill the ransomers.

I don't know, I'm not an Israeli general. But it wouldn't involve the intentional targeting of civilians, as Israel appears to be doing.

Beyond that is a rabbithole of decades of Israel/Palestine conflict, the Gaza strip, occupation of the West Bank and settlements that I really don't want to go down.