The recent killing of three hostages by the Israeli military makes it even more clear that war has never been and will never be the answer.

Imagine the grief of these families, who will never see their loved ones again. Instead of being reunited and starting to heal from this terrible ordeal, they are now planning funerals.

The government of Israel is showing how little they care about their own citizens. They say they want to destroy Hamas but their behavior indicates otherwise. They want to destroy the Palestinian people and take away their land. People who study the Middle East know that oppression only leads to more violence and extremism. If we truly want safety and security for all people, we must honor human rights for everyone.

Our tax dollars are funding this brutal bombardment of Gaza, which people all over the world are demonstrating against. Jewish people deserve to be safe and protected, wherever they live in the world. Palestinians deserve the same.

Joanna Colwell

Ripton