Hamas said to reject Israeli offer of two-month pause in war for release of hostages

[AloeVera]

150. If Israel wants to be left alone...

It should get the 700,000+ illegal settlers off Palestinian lands and end the brutal occupation as the first step to a lasting an prosperous peace.

How likely is that to happen under the current regime in Israel or given the Israeli public's support for that? I think you know it's not very likely. So I can ask the same question: does Israel really want peace?

I admire your optimistic take but I really don't think it's very realistic. Even if the war ended tomorrow, there is no way towards peace without Israel making some concessions and I don't see that happening. All I see happening now is that Gazans will be forced off their small strip of land because it's no longer fit for human habitation. And I am very angry and discouraged about that.

As for the flip-flop/combat boots comparison, it's symbolic of the asymmetry but also meant to point out that the fear of Hamas killing all Jews, though understandable, is not borne out by reality. In real life, far more Palestinians are killed and are living in fear as well. But living in fear is intolerable so maybe it's time to face the fact that peace comes at a cost for both sides.