Reader Arthur McLeod said: “Arab nations can battle Israel many times and lose, but Israel only has to lose once and the whole country is annihilated. A ceasefire is out of the question.”
Ronnie Dixon added: “people who have not experienced the barbarism they’ve encountered and who are not in the firing line should not adversely judge. Israel is a democratic sovereign nation.”
An anonymous reader said that a situation in which “Israel lays down its arms and mustn’t be allowed to defend itself” would not “make them safer and more secure”.
Others pointed to the dangers that other Western nations could face if Hamas is not eradicated.
Kevin Thomas, who backs Mr Netanyahu’s stance, said that “this is a fight between Western civilisation and barbarism, between good and evil. If Hamas beat Israel, which they won’t, Christian Western civilisation will be next”.
He concluded: “A good ending for this current battle would be the defeat of Hamas and the evil Iranian theocracy.”
‘Israel is doing our dirty work’
Carrie Orne added: “Israel is lucky to have Netanyahu… Nobody is perfect, and politics is a dirty business, but at least he has a backbone and is prepared to protect values we share. In reality, Israel is doing our dirty work; the terrorists would soon endanger our own lives.”
“Those calling for a ceasefire are cowards,” she added. “Palestine needs to be free of Hamas to prosper.”
Likewise, Roger Feraille called for additional support for Israel because it is “at the front line and our own defence against this despicable ideology. Hamas must be defeated”.
Alex Hawthorn pointed out that there was already a ceasefire, but it was “broken in a most spectacular and inhumanely brutal way on October 7 by Hamas”.
Meanwhile, Anthony Bargain questioned: “what would reverting to a ceasefire achieve, apart from a repeat of the October 7 acts of terrorism against Israel?”
‘Those calling for a ceasefire need to explain what happens after’
A number of readers also warned that those demanding a ceasfire are offering no alternative solutions.
One anonymous reader said that “those calling for a ceasefire need to explain what happens after”.
John Alba posed the question: “How does one expect the world to deal with Hamas, then? Sit around the campfire and sing Kumbaya?”
Michael Williams said: “Do they really think that Hamas will relent and stop attacking Israel in an endless cycle of death and destruction? Do they not understand that Hamas will rearm and regroup in its Iran-backed efforts to destroy Israel and kill all its people? With an enemy that hides amongst the people and launches its weapons from sites close to hospitals, what are the Israelis supposed to do?
“Israel has only two options: destroy Hamas completely, with all the death and destruction that means, or accept that they and their country must die.”
Elaine Cowan added: “a ceasefire implies both sides agree to the conditions. Would Hamas agree not to fire rockets? Very unlikely.
“Remember, they attacked on the Jewish sabbath, a Jewish holiday and at dawn, killing families in their homes and people partying… Most of their chosen attacks have been civilian targets… Would you honestly believe they would keep to any peace conditions if your family’s lives depended on them?”