One Man's Agony, One Nation's Promise

"Back from the Dead - 8-year-old Girl Feared Dead is Alive - In Gaza". This is the headlines but it's a bit misleading. When Thomas Hand was told that his daughter had been killed in the barbaric Hamas massacre of October 7, he responded, "YES!" because the thought of what Hamas would do to his daughter was, worse than death and though heart-broken, he was grateful, at least, that she would not have suffered as a captive.

Now, it turns out, Emily is alive and a hostage. Her father never feared that she was dead. He feared that she is alive. And his fears have come true. 

Now what? Now he pleads with Hamas to find some humanity, some decency. He begs them to "at least" release the children. Maybe the women later. He has little hope for the men. President Biden came and demanded a release and got two of his American hostages out. Unlike the others, these were women who live in the States. Israel rejected the "humanitarian" gesture for the farce it was.

Next Hamas released two elderly women claiming these too were for humanitarian reasons. Israeli media scoffed at this idea as well. Said one reporter, this was a medical release. Had it been for humanitarian reasons, they would have released the husbands of these women (both men in their 80s).

What both Biden and Hand are attempting to do is separate the hostages into the groups and plead for the most deserving, the most vulnerable to be released. But most Israelis reject Hand's viewpoint. The less hostages Hamas has, the more valuable each becomes. Worse, the more expandable they seem.

As agonizing as it is, Israel must stand strong. No ceasefire until there is an agreement that ALL the hostages will be released. It is likely that Hamas will ever want to release all of the hostages and yet it knows it can't keep all of them. 

Hamas has painted itself into an untenable, impossible situation and Israel is, rightly, leaving it no way out. Unlike Hamas, Israel really does have time on its side. Not a lot, but more than Hamas.

Thomas Hand left his native Ireland and came to live in Israel. He lost his wife and was devastated to have lost his daughter. Now, he is devastated at the thought of what she is enduring in Gaza.

I hope he will add his voice to ours - to demand ALL the hostages be released. We all desperately want the children back and Hamas and the world clearly understand Israel has no intention of stopping nor worrying about any other civilians in harm's way in the declared area of combat. We have identified South Gaza as safe and we will not bomb there (though Hamas might with a misfired rocket similar to the one Islamic Jihad used to hit their hospital a few weeks ago). Israel has offered safe passage. 

Gazan civilians who choose to stay do so at their own risk. We will not sacrifice our civilians to save theirs and if Hamas blocks (and they do) civilians, that's for the UN and the rest of the world to worry about.

But our message remains clear, our determination unwavering. All the hostages must be returned. The children. The women. The elderly. And hell yes, the men - old and young. Every. Last. One.