As you reflect further down, I don't believe anyone who feels as I do about the conflict is in any way dismissive or hardened about the number of deaths in Gaza. But we do also know that the numbers have been inflated, that Hamas knew exactly what they were doing - sacrificing the people of Gaza - when they committed October 7th, and that Israel likely had no real alternative other than to what? Not retaliate? And then what?

As I said in another comment, I haven't been to see what the haters have said in response to my essay. I'm sorry that means I won't see your comment either, until I'm ready to deal with the hate, but then again, I know what they will be saying - it's so predictable. And yes, I suspect they would say that Israel should have done nothing and allowed the population to be repeatedly massacred, as Hamas promised to do at the time (and the other Iranian proxies were planning to do in collaboration).