I wish Biden, or even Trump, had declared a ceasefire at the Emirates last night, just after we took the lead against Arsenal. But that didn’t happen.

Instead they’ve declared a ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza. From Sunday. The Americans, the Qataris, a few Egyptians and even one or two Israelis. It’s taken 8 months to ‘sort out the details’, but now we’re almost there. I say ‘almost’ because following Joe Biden’s desperate announcement yesterday, desperate because he needs it to be HIS ceasefire, and not Trump’s, Hamas are once again ‘shifting goalposts’ and its all up in the air at the moment of writing this. If I’d written it an hour ago it would have all been sorted. So I accept; it’s my fault.

What you also have to remember is that the last ceasefire prior to the current… shitstorm, was declared on October 6th 2023. And how did that go?

Firstly, I feel for Gaza. There’s virtually nothing left of it. So if there were any Gazans who were truly not Israel-hating jihadis or jihadi-sympathisers, and all the children, I truly feel for them. Unfortunately the line between ‘Gazan civilians’ and ‘Hamas terrorists’ is a very wide, blurry thing in lots of shades of grey. And yes, it’s been made even more so by the systematic destruction of their country. And the countless deaths. And I say ‘countless’ in the literal sense. Because no one has actually counted them. Certainly not ‘the Hamas controlled health ministry’ who fabricate the numbers for PR purposes. And choose never to differentiate between civilians and their soldiers in the interests of honesty or a good headline. The same reason Hamas chose to have its offices, its arms depots and its control centres under hospitals, mosques and schools. It’s called ‘human shielding’ and is only perpetrated by groups who have absolutely no care or consideration for the people they’re allegedly fighting for.

But the hostages will, hopefully, start to return. Dead or alive. After 450 days in captivity. I really have no wish to even think about how those days were lived. It’s beyond anything anyone who hasn’t been there could ever consider or understand. In return for each hostage Hamas get back 30 terrorists. 50 if the hostage is a soldier. That’s the current exchange rate. But initially it’s only women, children and the aged who will be returned.

Long term? It’s never really a term with any meaning or significance in that region but we’ll remain hopeful. At least for the return of the rest of the hostages.

And peace? That is such a ‘whole other question’ that it’s really beyond the amount of time I have… possibly ever. The Americans want this mythical ‘2-state solution’. The UK wants it too. In fact lots of people have thought it the best idea for decades. Unfortunately, Hamas don’t want it and never have. They want a 1-state solution. Called ‘Palestine’. With no Israel, Israelis or Jews. “From the River to the Sea”.

Which has its problems.

Happy Thursday

A xxxx