The continuing bloodshed suits both Hamas and Israel

Judging by the rhetoric being used by both sides after the discovery of the bodies of the abducted Israeli teenagers, violence will again be the method of choice for Hamas and the Israeli government.

I condemn these murders, but coverage of them contrasts with the coverage of the numerous, nameless Palestinian children killed over the years by indiscriminate IDF attacks.

The murder of Israelis and the heightened emotions perpetuate the collective punishment of the Palestinians of Gaza, feeding the narratives of Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Neither of the leaderships is interested in a peaceful two-state settlement. The cycle of violence suits both in their maintenance of power. One hopes that ordinary citizens, from both Palestine and Israel, will soon recognise that their futures depend on breaking this cycle, and in dispensing with their leaderships. A shared future of peaceful coexistence can only come about from a recognition of the rights of both parties and, in particular, the assurance of a viable Palestinian state.

Barry Walsh

Linden Ave

Blackrock

Cork