If you're losing a war, do you get to call timeout?

[elias7]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Lithos (a host of the Israel/Palestine group).

I am confused as to why much of the world public opinion is condemning Israel for not declaring an unconditional ceasefire.

In my limited understanding of military history, when two groups are engaged in conflict and one is clearly pummeling the other mercilessly, it would seem that the losing side can and should negotiate for a ceasefire by 1) surrendering, 2) releasing hostages, and 3) disarming.

Leaving it to Israel to take the high road and declare a ceasefire without conditions is absurd and only a tenable position if we assume that the Gazans are voiceless and the victims of their own leadership.

If Hamas is ignoring the pleas of its own people (including hoarding hundreds of thousands gallons of fuel) and is unwilling to acknowledge it has lost the war, then it needs to bear the burden of bad PR and condemnation from groups who are not doing so now (the UN, the new/college left, etc).