Dear Mansoor Hussain Laghari,

Thank you for sharing your perspective on this deeply complex and painful situation in Gaza. As a fellow advocate for human rights and peace, I appreciate the passion you bring to discussions on justice. These are qualities you highlight in your impressive profile. Your background is as a U.S. Army veteran, filmmaker, and activist. This undoubtedly provides you with unique insights into the costs of conflict. I respect your commitment to standing against terrorism in all its forms. However, I must firmly push back. It appears to be a one-sided portrayal that risks oversimplifying a humanitarian crisis. This portrayal can perpetuate division. It does not foster the empathy needed for a lasting resolution. First, we’ll focus on the core of your post. You claim that the international community is pressuring Israel to “let [Hamas fighters] walk away” without consequences. This narrative, while emotionally charged, doesn’t fully align with the reported facts. Recent developments show that mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US are holding discussions. These talks concern the fate of approximately 200 Hamas fighters. They are trapped in tunnels in IDF-controlled areas of southern Gaza, such as Rafah and Khan Younis.

These discussions take place within the fragile ceasefire context. This ceasefire was brokered under President Trump’s plan. His plan includes a “yellow line” demarcating control zones.

The proposed safe passage is escorted by the Red Cross. It requires fighters to leave heavy weapons behind. This is not a “humanitarian exit” for unrepentant murderers, as you describe. Instead, it is a pragmatic measure to stabilise the truce. This approach aims to prevent further escalations that could endanger both Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians.

Notably, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly ruled out granting such passage without disarmament. He faces domestic pressure from hardliners to eliminate the fighters instead.

Far from a “moral collapse,” this reflects the tough balancing act of diplomacy in wartime, where de-escalation often requires uncomfortable compromises to protect lives on all sides. Your invocation of October 7th, the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas, which no one with a conscience can deny, is a stark reminder of the need for accountability. Those responsible must face justice, and I join you in mourning the victims and supporting efforts to free the remaining hostages. Yet, framing these trapped fighters solely as “demons” involved in that day ignores the broader context: many may be lower-level combatants caught in the chaos of a 20-month war that has, by UN estimates, claimed over 43,000 Palestinian lives, including thousands of children, and displaced nearly 2 million people.

(Note: This figure is from earlier reports but aligns with ongoing tallies; the war’s toll continues to mount.) Pressuring for their safe exit isn’t about rewarding terror, it’s about adhering to international humanitarian law, which prohibits summary executions and mandates humane treatment of combatants hors de combat (those no longer able to fight).

True justice comes through trials, not vengeance, and history shows that blanket demonisation can fuel cycles of retaliation, as we’ve tragically seen in this conflict. Moreover, your assertion that “human rights belong FIRST to the victims, not to the murderers” is a noble sentiment. Still, it dangerously erodes the universal principle that rights are inherent to all humans, regardless of guilt. Denying due process to one group risks justifying it for others, undermining the very democratic values you champion with hashtags like #DefendDemocracy. Where is the humanity for the Palestinian victims, the families shattered by airstrikes, the children orphaned in the rubble, the medics targeted in hospitals? Justice for Israeli hostages must not come at the expense of collective punishment for 2.3 million Gazans, many of whom are innocent and have endured a blockade and bombardment that the International Court of Justice has preliminarily deemed plausibly genocidal.

Rewarding unchecked violence benefits no one; it only sows the seeds for the “next massacre” you rightly fear. As a Muslim Zionist and human rights activist, you have a powerful platform to bridge divides. You could advocate for a ceasefire that prioritises hostage releases. Additionally, you could push for Hamas’s complete disarmament and a pathway to Palestinian statehood. It is also essential to consider Israel’s security in this process. Let’s channel our shared outrage at terrorism into calls for accountability that uplift all victims, not just one side’s narrative. The world needs more voices like yours, but grounded in the full spectrum of facts and compassion.

In solidarity for peace,

Afilonius Rex.