First off, I'd like to thank you for being one of the very, very few to avoid being a raging asshole about it, and I'd also like to thank you for being one of the very few to bring new information to the table for me instead of just telling me to go find it without saying anything about where it would be.

This was in May 2024 that collecting data was already becoming difficult due to destruction of infrastructure. 2 years of siege, bombing, genocide and destruction later. At the time of this publication, 35% of buildings were destroyed in Gaza. Since then there has been occupation, demolition, constant bombing, sieges and strangulation. These are direct deaths from Israeli attacks, already at 35,000 confirmed under these conditions 2 years ago. You won’t get an “official count” higher than 70k because it hasn’t moved in over a year. Nobody is counting anymore. Do you know what that means? The type of complete breakdown and death that this requires to happen? The purposeful targeting of healthcare and rescue workers and medics. Think of all the downstream deaths, from starvation, from disease, from pre-existing disabilities. Serious estimates put it closer to 250-300k at least. There are

You seem to have cut off here, not sure if something got lost.

I was aware of the destruction of infrastructure and the targeting of aid workers, but I've struggled to stay up to date with things in the last year or so as I've had a lot of strains placed on my time available to do so. While I knew this was impacting the ability to count, I apparently overestimated the effort to incorporate other information and provide a more accurate estimate, even if it's still pretty inaccurate. I figured it was probably not exactly right but close enough for discussion purposes, but that does seem to be incorrect.

The direct war deaths have dropped considerably since the October 2025 “ceasefire”, with “only” about 500-1000 direct Palestinian deaths, however the genocide continues through deprivation and starvation and siege. Doesn’t that make Trump the “slow genocide” “harm reduction” candidate compared to the 200k+ killed under Biden’s watchful tutelage of dropping 200k tons of explosives on one of the densest populated area on Earth, with full military protection and support and supply? Leveling some 80%+ of all the buildings and slaughtering man, woman and child with your tax payer money.

I'll definitely agree that it at least gives Trump the appearance of being the harm reduction candidate, but I'm not entirely convinced Trump deserves credit for it. Trump is the one who said Israel should finish the job, who proposed the US come in and take control of Gaza after they "[move] the people out", and talked just a few months ago about how it's great real estate and wants to build skyscrapers there. Every word or action Gaza, except the fact that ceasefire started while he's in office, has pointed to him condoning or actively encouraging the ethnic cleanse. I think it's far more likely that global backlash has finally reached a point that, combined with the increasing horror of a more total ethnic cleanse than they've achieved so far, has forced them to enter a "ceasefire" where they can try to finish the job more quietly.

Now, that said, I will admit it is in line with my wish to slow things down and buy time for more effective measures. I will also reiterate that the only reason I wanted things slowed down was so that we have more time to use those more effective measures. From that perspective, the "ceasefire" is a win. It's just that given the greater context of Trump's words and actions on Gaza, I'm not convinced he deserves very much of the credit. But, like always, if you have any information that can contradict that, I'm open to reviewing it and potentially changing my mind. I won't lie, it'd be a bitter pill to swallow to admit Trump was better, but if someone can actually provide evidence for the claim, I'll accept it. I'm just hesitant to give him credit for what appears to be a coincidence to me.

Ultimately, I think it boils down to Israel started it while Biden was in office, and the opening was always going to be more violent given the event it was in response to, regardless of who in the US was in charge at the time. The very start, I think, is almost entirely Israel's fault with partial credit to the US for bolstering Israel enough to feel confident enough to do it. I wouldn't blame Trump for the opening of Gaza any more than I would Biden simply because from what I know, Israel seems to have started this independently. From there, yes, whoever was in charge should have done whatever they can to rein them in, and no, that absolutely did not happen, at least not to nearly the extent it should have, but just because Biden handled it abysmally doesn't mean Trump wouldn't have treated rock bottom as challenge to dig deeper. From what I've seen of him in every aspect of Gaza except the fact that the ceasefire happened, he's been as bad or worse. I think we'd have the ceasefire under Harris, too, at a minimum, and I'd be more confident we can pressure Harris to do more than I am about pressuring Trump.