The recent cold-blooded murder of six Israeli hostages (among them an American) is yet another example of the inhuman values of Hamas killers. Compare their bloodthirsty Oct. 7, invasion with Israel’s military attempting to avoid harming non-combatants, or Israel’s pause in fighting to facilitate polio vaccinations for Palestinian children. Of course, for added comparison, one only has to look at the way they treat their own women and children, by placing them as shields to absorb any incoming bombs intended for Hamas terrorists hiding among them.

Calls for a cease-fire without allowing Israeli troops to retain control over the Philadelphi Corridor is a “free pass” for Hamas to continue smuggling more weapons into Gaza from Egypt to continue their terror. It’s hard for Westerners to understand the difference in values if we have never ourselves lived in a culture with such little regard for human life. Many of us continue to assume the Palestinian terrorists think like us. How can we accept that a person would not care about causing the killing of their own women and children? But, sadly, that’s the reality. And, they hate Americans, too.

Jesse Samuels

West Hartford