Urban warfare typically has a death ratio of 9:1. For every nine civilians only one militant is killed. This is not the case in Gaza. Take your numbers of deaths and divide by ten. That number is the expected number of Hamas fighters dead and the rest civilian in an urban warzone.

About 35,000 deaths so far. Divide by 10 is 3,500. So according to expectations we should see 31,500 civilian deaths even if the IDF were not specifically targeting civilians. Now look at your numbers for civilian deaths. Do they come close? No?

The simple truth is that no urban warfare in history has ever had a lower ratio of civilian to militant deaths. Ever. The only conclusion to draw from this is that Israel is clearly not targeting civilians. Just the opposite in fact.

This does not diminish the horrors of war. Innocent civilians should not be caught up the madness of its leaders. It is especially tragic since Gazans have had no democratic representation since about 2006 when Hamas killed their political rivals and suspended all further elections.

I find it odd when folks cry out, "Free Palestine," when twenty years ago Palestinians got everything they asked for other than the dissolution of Israel:

• withdrawal of all IDF troops
• grow houses to be able to feed its own population without assistance or interference
• forced removal of Israeli settlers from the occupied territories
• self-governance with elections independent from Israel, ie. a two-state solution
• billions in seed money
• opening the checkpoints to Israel to allow easier travel and work visas

Sooner or later folks are going to have to accept that Hamas (and earlier, the PA) isn't looking to "free" anyone. They want an authoritarian theocracy and the destruction of Israel. Period. Don't listen to Israel about this. Watch clips of Gazan television. See for yourself. If Israel magically disappeared today, you would not see folks rejoicing at the dawn of a free age in Palestine. You would see the rise of a new Taliban, another group like the Houthis of Yemen.

There is a reason why the borders to Egypt and Jordan are closed to Palestinians, and it's not because Israel closed them. Just read about the history of Palestinians in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.

Sometimes the underdog isn't the hero. This is one of those cases.

I truly hope for a free Palestine, but it will not come to pass with Hamas or any group like them at the helm. The best case scenario is for current and future Palestinian leadership to cease all hostilities with Israel. It worked for Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. When those nations stopped attacking Israel, Israel stopped fighting them. It really is that simple.

I am both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel. I want a prosperous and independent Gaza with ports of trade and tourism on the Mediterranean Sea. I want no rockets and missiles flying between the two. I want the IDF to remain within Israel's borders. I want water pipes to carry water to Gazans, not to be dug up for use as rocket parts. I want elections in Gaza again. I want a truly free Gaza.

It is not a zero-sum game. The tragedy comes from those who treat it that way. Neither the people of Gaza nor the people of Israel are going anywhere. At peace, the lives of both and their children and their grandchildren can improve immeasurably. I consider both Likud and Hamas to be the ultimate threats to peace, though not equal. I can hate the Likud Party and still consider the death cult known as Hamas to be far worse.

Free Palestine and Israel! 🇵🇸 + 🇮🇱 = ☮️