In October 2023, Hamas stages a successful low-tech attack against Israel. Israelis are murdered, raped and taken captive. An infant is shot to death in his crib. In response, Israel practically levels Gaza. About 60,000 people die, mostly Palestinian but some aid workers, journalists and Israeli soldiers. So, who is the winner (“Can a peace in Gaza last?” Oct. 11)?
Israel’s response is so devastating that it causes a surge in antisemitism around the world and sympathy for Palestinians. Israel nearly becomes a pariah state among nations. There is international pressure for the two-state solution that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have vehemently opposed. So, who is the winner?
The Israeli captives are held for more than two years before the last of them, those who survived, are released. However, they and their families and friends suffer agony for months before they are liberated. Many, no doubt, will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder for the rest of their lives. So, who is the winner?
Instead of being eliminated, Hamas turns out in force after Netanyahu vowed to eliminate them. They are well armed and conduct public executions of fellow Palestinians. So, who is the winner?
Answer: nobody.
— Edward Leslie Ansel, Owings Mills
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