I’m not an expert on foreign affairs, but — Israel and Hamas are involved in a death struggle. The United States must support Israel 100% militarily but stay out of hostage negotiations. The work and pressure our government has so far done has only deepened the possibility of an eventual very tragic outcome.

We need to return to President Theodore Roosevelt’s approach for dealing with Hamas like our government’s 1904 “Perdicaris Alive or Raisuli Dead” policy.

I recommend the Israeli policy should be: All hostages alive and free — or Hamas top leaders all dead.

ALLEN B. GIFFORD

Ocean Park