Agreed that a ceasefire needs to happen. Problem is, IDF/US have stated that hostage-keeping precludes a ceasefire, so until hostages are returned, a ceasefire won't happen. The conflict goes on and Hamas has not surrendered (when they arguably should; they have no hope of victory). Hamas is not providing hostages back to Israel (except in token numbers, 2 at a time, to show that they still have the other 200+). Those who suffer most (as we all predicted/discussed over a week ago) will be the Palestinians caught in between. Though the IDF's bombing tactics are reprehensible and have caused doubtlessly numerous innocent civilian deaths, it is true that Hamas hides their operations amidst civilians intentionally, and that at times the two can be difficult to distinguish.

Since Hamas initiated the current conflict with their surprise attack without surrender, since Hamas continues to hold hostages alive, and since the US and Israel have decided that there is no reason to have a ceasefire while that's true, there is no ceasefire. I didn't decide that. The politics that urge the IDF to do that in their current shocked state as a nation are what created that. Democracy, wherein Israeli people continue to feel the pain of Hamas' own attempt at genocidal actions, has decided that. Emotions piled up from decades of conflict, not just the past month, have decided that. None of it is excused, but all of it is explainable.

It is conceivable that Hamas could return all the hostages and surrender, and then the ceasefire would hopefully happen (but boy won't I be siding with you on the genocidal intent if there was no ceasefire after that proposed condition for it may be met!) The gist of this post is, sorry, Hamas does have a hand in all of the actions IDF conducts on account of the above reasoning; which is THEIR (the IDF's) reasoning for continued aggression, not mine, and which the US and UN have semi-condoned through "reinforcing Israel's right to self-defense."

The bottom line is that this conflict is NOT a one-directional conflict which was initiated by the IDF; the current bombing approach is absolutely reprehensible and cutting off basic life necessities to the entire population is severe to say the least, but the recent incursion in Israel will continue to EMOTIONALLY+POLITICALLY justify these actions as long as the sentiment of Israeli voters/citizens agrees with that. In the midst of all of it, Hamas continues to hold some 200 or so women, children, seniors and other foreign nationals hostage the whole time, and Netanyahu continues to try to find a way to hold onto his power, and will hopefully still lose it, another potential condition for the end of this conflict now, though we will see what the COLLECTIVE TRAUMA OF OVER A THOUSAND JEWISH PEOPLE BEING MURDERED LIKE ANIMALS will continue to do to motivate the bombing.

Rather than call this a genocide, I would call it a war between very unequal powers with one side utilizing terrorist tactics in an ongoing way and the other using shock and awe style tactics that will exactly replicate 9/11 and the conflicts of the US in Afghanistan and Iraq. I don't think many people look back on those conflicts and label them "genocides," though I suppose you probably would immediately call them that also. It isn't fun or good for anyone to see this shit, and I would really love a ceasefire; I'd also really love Hamas to return all their hostages and to surrender, since they will not win the conflict in the end. Hamas' long term strategy is suicidal, and that may benefit a long term Jihadist strategy against Israel, but it is still suicidal for them and for innocent Palestinians.

"it's OK for Israel to collectively punish the citizens of Gaza until Hamas returns the hostages"

“It’s okay for Israel to mass murder civilians so long as they think a Hamas guy is nearby “