Israel having to negotiate for the release of its civilian hostages is among the most absurd and humiliating things I’ve ever seen in my life. These aren’t POWs being exchanged among warring nations after having been captured in battle. They’re KIDNAPPING VICTIMS, forcibly dragged from their homes at gunpoint and kept in underground rat tunnels for months. Yet Israel has to send delegations to Paris and kindly ask that the governments of Qatar and Egypt—those noted bastions of human rights!—intercede and convince Hamas terrorists to release them, in exchange for Israel releasing violent criminals (with a ratio that will undoubtedly be an order of magnitude greater, of course). As if civilian hostages and Hamas militants are morally fungible. Maybe I’m just a dumb Marine who doesn’t understand the world of diplomacy, but it feels like nothing less than a ritual in forced humiliation. Having to barter for the safe return of women and children. Rape victims and babies. It’s repugnant. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame Israel for doing anything its power to secure the safe return of its people. I respect them for seeking resolution using all the means at its disposal. God knows, I’d do nothing less in their situation. But Israel shouldn’t *have to*. Hamas releasing the civilian hostages it seized on October 7th should be a basic prerequisite for all other points of consideration here. Returning the hostages should *precede* negotiations for a ceasefire, not be used as a bargaining chip in exchange for one. Then again, what do I know? I’m just a random guy on Twitter who continues to be shocked at the utter moral cowardice evinced by so many public figures, global leaders, and political officials since October 7th. Surely, I’m missing something in my understanding of the situation. After all, there’s significant historical nuance here, and the dynamics are far more complex than terrorists simply having kidnapped, raped, and murdered innocent people. Right?