How should Israel have responded to the 10/7 terrorist attack?

[VBM]

Israel has received a lot of scrutiny from the Left for their response to the Hamas terrorist attack. How do you think Israel should have handled the situation?

[mileslunn]

Should have told Hamas they have 48 hours to return all hostages or they would invade.  And as they did warned people to move southward.  Likewise should have gotten into contact with Egypt to open Rafah crossing to temporarily shelter those not part of Hamas and border would be jointly staffed with IDF soldiers and Israeli intelligence officers to limit only those of no threat to crossing.  In addition should have sent in secret commandos to assassinate top officials of Hamas. 

[Vosem]

I think the way that they actually did it is fine, and it's hard for me to criticize it without knowing what options were on the table. I do kind of question the focus on saving hostages over destroying Hamas -- I think accepting the late-November ceasefire was a very questionable decision -- but I think Israeli domestic politics probably mandated it.

I also wonder if Israel might not have saved many soldiers' lives by actually cutting off aid to Gaza and besieging it -- even Hamas members like to eat and drink water, "practically every day" in the words of Chernomyrdin -- but that might not have been tolerated by its allies. Still, it should have done more to raise awareness that the war is essentially continuing because of the aid being sent, pressured its allies to do more to criminalize sending aid to Gaza and vilify the organizations calling for more aid, and ensured that aid within Gaza could be distributed only by the IDF and its agents, and never by Hamas.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

I think the way that they actually did it is fine, and it's hard for me to criticize it without knowing what options were on the table. I do kind of question the focus on saving hostages over destroying Hamas -- I think accepting the late-November ceasefire was a very questionable decision -- but I think Israeli domestic politics probably mandated it.

I also wonder if Israel might not have saved many soldiers' lives by actually cutting off aid to Gaza and besieging it -- even Hamas members like to eat and drink water, "practically every day" in the words of Chernomyrdin -- but that might not have been tolerated by its allies. Still, it should have done more to raise awareness that the war is essentially continuing because of the aid being sent, pressured its allies to do more to criminalize sending aid to Gaza and vilify the organizations calling for more aid, and ensured that aid within Gaza could be distributed only by the IDF and its agents, and never by Hamas.

You are inhumane. South Africa is rightfully accusing Israel of genocide, and you're arguing it is not even enough.

[dead0man]

the least surprising thing ever is Laki(ng) not answering the OP but criticizing someone else's answer

[wnwnwn]

The necessary to make Hamas stop their attacks.
Maybe, try to preassure Egypt to accept palestinian refugees.

[AtorBoltox]

The necessary to make Hamas stop their attacks.
Maybe, try to preassure Egypt to accept palestinian refugees.

Haven't you heard, though? Unlike any other conflict in history neighboring states accepting refugees is a bad thing because it would be 'assisting Israel in ethnic cleansing'

[Antonio the Sixth]

Targeted operation to rescue the hostages and assassinate the key leaders of Hamas (in Gaza and elsewhere) combined with a radical shift in policies including a massive effort to improve infrastructure and provide economic and social opportunities for the inhabitants of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, a freeze on settlements, and resumption of negotiations with the PA.

[FT-02 Senator A.F.E. 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

The necessary to make Hamas stop their attacks.
Maybe, try to preassure Egypt to accept palestinian refugees.

Haven't you heard, though? Unlike any other conflict in history neighboring states accepting refugees is a bad thing because it would be 'assisting Israel in ethnic cleansing'

Because, the fear is that the Israeli government won't allow them to return back to their previous lives and homes in Gaza once this current war is over.

Now, this isn't to say the actions of the governments of the rest of the Arab world, hell, the rest of the Muslim world, regarding the continued occupation of Palestine and the treatment of the Palestinian people, aren't downright disgusting and shameful.

[President Johnson]

Honestly, not that much different other than conducting some military operations in Gaza with more caution and allow more humanitarian aid. But it was overall correct to hunt down Hamas terrorists.

[Vice President Christian Man]

Keep in mind that Israel/Palestine was already under a ceasefire when the attacks begun, so giving them another ceasefire wouldn't do anything other than make Netanyahu come across as gullible and/or weak and give them a green light to continue what Hitler could never finish. Netanyahu's response may seem harsh on the surface, but if you see the evil atrocities that Hamas has done including using civilians as shields, butchering babies, and planting bombs in churches and hospitals, it's hard to tell what is civilian infrastructure and what is military as they're interwoven. Given the complexity of the situation and that Netanyahu has every right to act in self defense, it's hard to tell if one could've responded less harshly and still get the point across, but the international community should be more accepting of Palestinian refugees who are innocent civilians. There is one side that respects democracy and human rights, and it's not the side that killed innocent concert goers and kidnapped civilians on October 7th.

[Pericles]

Morally, by targeting their strikes a lot more carefully and not just recklessly carpet-bombing such a densely populated system (literally calling their AI 'the Gospel' and just accepting its targets didn't help). Collective punishment like the total blockade are also war crimes. The idea that Israel's policies towards the Palestinians can just continue as normal, with an indefinite occupation of Gaza added in (it even looks like the PA will be excluded), is also delusional.

Practically, condensing the timeline of the invasion so the news does not get as repetitive and it is done right after October 7 might have been better for Israel's international reputation.

[Diabolical Materialism]

Even though I think Israel is a genocidal settler state that has abused the Palestinian people for decades, I think that a surgical response to the 10/7 attack was justified. However Israel isn't doing anything coming to close to precise, and is instead putting Gaza in the blender to pave the way for more sh**tty startups and garbage restaurants called sh**t like "Disco Party Sandwich".

Highly unrealistic that they ever would attempt this, but they could use their pull with the United States to have the Gulf States and Lebanon extradite Hamas' overseas leadership. Call for an international third party like the UN to serve as a mediator between Hamas and Israel that would cut a deal in which Israel withdraws the IDF and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and releases low level Hamas prisoners in Israel custody in exchange for Hamas disarming and submitting to the authority of the PA. Perhaps even a UN occupation of the Gaza Strip while negotiations are conducted.

Would Hamas take this deal? Most likely no. But I do think that there is a diplomatic route to dismantling Hamas that doesn't require the wholesale genocide of the Gaza Strip.

[Alben Barkley]

The real answer that leftists secretly (or not so secretly) believe is they're "supposed to lay down and die when their door is kicked in," to quote a relevant Bob Dylan song.

[Indy Texas]

Even though I think Israel is a genocidal settler state that has abused the Palestinian people for decades, I think that a surgical response to the 10/7 attack was justified. However Israel isn't doing anything coming to close to precise, and is instead putting Gaza in the blender to pave the way for more sh**tty startups and garbage restaurants called sh**t like "Disco Party Sandwich".

Highly unrealistic that they ever would attempt this, but they could use their pull with the United States to have the Gulf States and Lebanon extradite Hamas' overseas leadership. Call for an international third party like the UN to serve as a mediator between Hamas and Israel that would cut a deal in which Israel withdraws the IDF and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and releases low level Hamas prisoners in Israel custody in exchange for Hamas disarming and submitting to the authority of the PA. Perhaps even a UN occupation of the Gaza Strip while negotiations are conducted.

Would Hamas take this deal? Most likely no. But I do think that there is a diplomatic route to dismantling Hamas that doesn't require the wholesale genocide of the Gaza Strip.

What is the math for Netanyahu (or, for that matter, any other MK) to approve this and not have their governing coalition fall apart?

And when it falls apart, how many people supportive of such a thing will be elected to the next Knesset? Maybe 10 to 15 at best, in a chamber of 120.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Even though I think Israel is a genocidal settler state that has abused the Palestinian people for decades, I think that a surgical response to the 10/7 attack was justified. However Israel isn't doing anything coming to close to precise, and is instead putting Gaza in the blender to pave the way for more sh**tty startups and garbage restaurants called sh**t like "Disco Party Sandwich".

Highly unrealistic that they ever would attempt this, but they could use their pull with the United States to have the Gulf States and Lebanon extradite Hamas' overseas leadership. Call for an international third party like the UN to serve as a mediator between Hamas and Israel that would cut a deal in which Israel withdraws the IDF and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and releases low level Hamas prisoners in Israel custody in exchange for Hamas disarming and submitting to the authority of the PA. Perhaps even a UN occupation of the Gaza Strip while negotiations are conducted.

Would Hamas take this deal? Most likely no. But I do think that there is a diplomatic route to dismantling Hamas that doesn't require the wholesale genocide of the Gaza Strip.

What is the math for Netanyahu (or, for that matter, any other MK) to approve this and not have their governing coalition fall apart?

And when it falls apart, how many people supportive of such a thing will be elected to the next Knesset? Maybe 10 to 15 at best, in a chamber of 120.

I guess my addendum would be that Israeli settlements in the west bank - in a two state solution - should be treated like Arab cities in Israel proper. As far as i am aware, in the event of a two state solution nobody is saying that Nazareth has to be dismantled, or for that matter Israel needs to be partitioned so all the Arab cities are part of Palestine. They just have to accept being under Palestinian law, in the same way Israeli Arabs live under Israeli law. The unacceptable solution is the one where the west bank is carved up, swathes annexed into israel and Palestine is reduced to, I hate to say it, bantustans.

[Frodo]

Invaded southern Gaza, and took full control of the Rafah border crossing and Philadelphi Corridor (and nearby adjacent lands in Gaza), while destroying whatever tunnels they could find, while extending the underground 'Iron Wall' along that border with the intention of permanently occupying the area including the city of Rafah and the airport.

 

With Hamas cut off from Egypt and the outside world, then launch precision strikes to punish those responsible for the October 7th massacre and free the hostages.

 

[Diabolical Materialism]

Even though I think Israel is a genocidal settler state that has abused the Palestinian people for decades, I think that a surgical response to the 10/7 attack was justified. However Israel isn't doing anything coming to close to precise, and is instead putting Gaza in the blender to pave the way for more sh**tty startups and garbage restaurants called sh**t like "Disco Party Sandwich".

Highly unrealistic that they ever would attempt this, but they could use their pull with the United States to have the Gulf States and Lebanon extradite Hamas' overseas leadership. Call for an international third party like the UN to serve as a mediator between Hamas and Israel that would cut a deal in which Israel withdraws the IDF and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and releases low level Hamas prisoners in Israel custody in exchange for Hamas disarming and submitting to the authority of the PA. Perhaps even a UN occupation of the Gaza Strip while negotiations are conducted.

Would Hamas take this deal? Most likely no. But I do think that there is a diplomatic route to dismantling Hamas that doesn't require the wholesale genocide of the Gaza Strip.

What is the math for Netanyahu (or, for that matter, any other MK) to approve this and not have their governing coalition fall apart?

And when it falls apart, how many people supportive of such a thing will be elected to the next Knesset? Maybe 10 to 15 at best, in a chamber of 120.

Yeah hence why I said it's unrealistic that they would attempt this. The grip that the settlers have as a voting bloc is poisoning Israeli politics and is making any chance for peace near impossible.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Even though I think Israel is a genocidal settler state that has abused the Palestinian people for decades, I think that a surgical response to the 10/7 attack was justified. However Israel isn't doing anything coming to close to precise, and is instead putting Gaza in the blender to pave the way for more sh**tty startups and garbage restaurants called sh**t like "Disco Party Sandwich".

Highly unrealistic that they ever would attempt this, but they could use their pull with the United States to have the Gulf States and Lebanon extradite Hamas' overseas leadership. Call for an international third party like the UN to serve as a mediator between Hamas and Israel that would cut a deal in which Israel withdraws the IDF and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and releases low level Hamas prisoners in Israel custody in exchange for Hamas disarming and submitting to the authority of the PA. Perhaps even a UN occupation of the Gaza Strip while negotiations are conducted.

Would Hamas take this deal? Most likely no. But I do think that there is a diplomatic route to dismantling Hamas that doesn't require the wholesale genocide of the Gaza Strip.

What is the math for Netanyahu (or, for that matter, any other MK) to approve this and not have their governing coalition fall apart?

And when it falls apart, how many people supportive of such a thing will be elected to the next Knesset? Maybe 10 to 15 at best, in a chamber of 120.

Yeah hence why I said it's unrealistic that they would attempt this. The grip that the settlers have as a voting bloc is poisoning Israeli politics and is making any chance for peace near impossible.

Took words out of my mouth.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Surgical strikes and targeted assasinations of Hamas top-brass; reinforcing of border security and perhaps revoking work permits of Gaza residents working in Israel. Not a campagin of collective punishment which has most killed civllans with no realistic end goal or plan.

[pppolitics]

The US already said what Israel should have done: precision strikes with small bomb and commando raids.

[VBM]

The US already said what Israel should have done: precision strikes with small bomb and commando raids.

Ok but even if Israel could be more precise with their bombings, there would still inevitably be civilian casualties, and you guys have been screaming genocide ever since the first Gazan civilians were killed

[Pres Mike]

Should have told Hamas they have 48 hours to return all hostages or they would invade.  And as they did warned people to move southward.  Likewise should have gotten into contact with Egypt to open Rafah crossing to temporarily shelter those not part of Hamas and border would be jointly staffed with IDF soldiers and Israeli intelligence officers to limit only those of no threat to crossing.  In addition should have sent in secret commandos to assassinate top officials of Hamas. 

If the people of Gaza fled into Egpyt, they would never be allowed to return

[Blue3]

Targeted strikes by special forces, rare targeted air strikes, capturing Hamas leaders, and a mixture of special forces operations -man’s immense pressure to rescue hostages. As well as a strategy to win the PR world, and make it more of a 9/11 rally to gather support even from frequent critics.