If ever there were a need for immediate cease-fires, it is the wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.  The Ukrainian counter-offensive over the past six months has led to a Ukrainian advance of less than 15 miles.  The Israeli advance over the past several weeks in Gaza has been marked by the deaths of innocents for the most part, primarily the elderly, women, children, and even infants.  There is no evidence that Israel has annihilated the leaders of Hamas or even registered significant gains against the fighting forces of Hamas, which may number as many as 30,000 to 40,000 fighters.