Thread by @BtSIsrael

The ceasefire is of course good news, and we hope it will hold out for as long as possible. But it's only a matter of time until the next round of fighting; a question of when, not if. Because as long as we continue holding Palestinians under occupation, violence is inevitable.

We may no longer be dropping bombs on Gaza from the sky—for the time being—but today, like every day for years now, we control who enters/leaves the Strip, imports/exports, airspace & sea access. Gaza is still under our control not only during the operations but between them too.

Israel sees operations in Gaza as a necessary evil—having to periodically "mow the lawn" to keep the 2million people there under control. And every time, the red lines we crossed in the previous operation become the starting point of the next one. An endless spiral of violence.

None of this absolves Hamas of responsibility for attacking civilians. But as an Israeli org & as former soldiers who perpetuated the occupation, we have a responsibility to speak out against it before the next time soldiers are sent to kill and be killed to uphold this reality.

There's a lot to say about Gaza, but the events of the last few days took place in Israel too. Horrific violence between Israeli Jews & Palestinians erupted on the streets, much of it due to the active encouragement & flame-fanning of Kahanist (Jewish Supremacist) politicians.

There were even calls for the military to be brought into Israeli towns, after settlers & Kahanists played a vital role in shaking up the fragile coexistence. Their model: Hebron in the West Bank, where they've largely succeeded in making segregation the norm in the city center.

The international community has shown great interest, solidarity and involvement over the last ten days. Now is the time to take that message one step further and demand that the occupation — of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — is brought to a full stop.