Big Al, you are not alone. I feel you are spot on in your comments. EVERYTHING Hamas says or does or endorses is geared in terms of fighting a war. Their policy involves siting their aggressive forces in civilian areas inclduding schools and hospitals and officials that are interviewed there, including medical, are subject to repercussions if they say anything different than what they are instructed to say.

I distrust the United Nations reports.

I don't understand the definition of genocide that allows Israel to be accused of it while EVERY nation around her is most definitely practising selective attrition on such peoples as Yazidis, Kurds, Coptics, and Yemenis are impacted. To me, THAT is an abomination. And, where there are Jews, Hamas practised attrition on THEM. The timing was coordinated with preventing Israel from coming to terms with surrounding Arab states under the Abrahamic accords.

Meanwhile, what is going on in Gaza and Lebanon are acts of war, instigated not by Israel. If Hamas was not in charge of the Gazan side of things, hostages would have been released. The 'victim' list, whether it is Israeli/American hostages or Palestinian Gazans, is under Hamas' control.

And, of course, straying into the Syrian thread, if Israel were not making significant inroads into the Hezbollah/ Iran terrorist masters of Lebanon, Syria would still be under the boot of the Assad forces.