Conflicted Community: Andrew Fox – The Gaza Ceasefire Deal + Hamas’ Questionable Counting

4 snips

Jan 22, 2025

Andrew Fox, an ex-British Army soldier and war studies lecturer, provides an in-depth analysis of the recent Gaza ceasefire deal and its implications. He discusses the complexities of negotiations and the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. Fox shares insights from his military experience, focusing on civilian casualties and military strategies. The conversation also touches on the challenges of accurate casualty reporting and the psychological impact of warfare on soldiers. His unique perspective sheds light on the intricate dynamics at play in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

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ANECDOTE

Military Background

Andrew Fox joined the British Army in 2005 and served three tours in Afghanistan.
His experience included leading infantry and working with US Special Forces.

INSIGHT

Controlled Aggression

Controlled aggression is key for professional soldiers, trained to be switched on and off.
The biggest concern is troop safety and mission success, not personal adrenaline.

ANECDOTE

Civilian Casualties

Witnessing civilian casualties is devastating for soldiers, who don't join to harm non-combatants.
A ricochet incident deeply affected a fellow soldier, highlighting the unintended consequences of war.

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Last week, a deal between Israel and Gaza was struck to bring back the Israeli hostages and to bring an end to the bloodshed which has engulfed Gaza over 15 months of fighting, since October 7th 2023. It’s a deal which has brought relief to many, not least the families of hostages and civilians in Gaza, but also questions from others who see Israel as having failed to fully dismantle Hamas and finish the war aims they began their assault on Gaza with. In this episode, recorded last week on February 15th just as the deal was being finally struck, we discuss the deal and give a broader retrospective on the military campaign in Gaza in all its facets, with a man who has been to Gaza and seen much of it first hand.

This week, Thomas invites Andrew Fox on to the Conflicted Community. Andrew is an ex-soldier in the British army, who served in three tours of Afghanistan, including one attached to the US Army Special Forces. Since then he’s worked in academia as a senior lecturer in the War Studies and Behavioural Science departments at Sandhurst, as well as as a research fellow with the Henry Jackson Society. He’s also a regular commentator on defence and foreign policy across the media, including his excellent substack which you can subscribe to here: https://mrandrewfox.substack.com/

Thomas and Andrew discuss the deal to bring a halt to fighting in Gaza, as well as his time serving in the British army, how this has affected the ways in which he looks at conflicts, before getting on to a fascinating new report he co-authored which examines the questionable counting of the Hamas run Gaza Health Ministry over the course of the conflict.

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