nick_h.-
Did you make a point with your word salad? I can't find one.
Ok let me rephrase it for you. In response to:
Hamas (…) they're an army with a military strategy. That strategy is the controlling factor in current events. It dictates what the Israeli military does. It has to be the logical starting point for how we think about all aspects of the problem, from starving children to a future solution.
It doesn’t matter what Hamas does or doesn’t do, it doesn’t give Israel an exception to break with its obligations under international law. Disproportionate harm to civilians, collective punishment, indiscriminate attacks, wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure, forced displacement of peoples, the list of forbidden miseries goes on and on. Israel unilaterally agreed to avoid ever doing anything from that list, no exceptions, but their ongoing decisions since Oct 23 have given many people cause to believe that they are doing at least some of them, which Israel itself agreed would be illegal.
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Leshaches
If famine is allowed to take hold, it won’t take 10 years to leave Palestine child-free.
Last I checked, enemy barbarism wasn’t a defence against war crimes or genocide under the Geneva Conventions. Hamas’ strategy may be to infuriate Israel and hide behind civilians, but that doesn’t justify carte blanche retribution where civilians are likely to be affected (it doesn’t justify carte blanche anyway but let’s focus on the civilians, fuck Hamas). If anything, Hamas’ cynicism should motivate Israel to go to additional lengths to prove to the world that its attacks are, at least, specifically targeting legitimate enemy targets; as it stands, Israel is being deliberately obscure in explaining its actions resulting in civilian deaths, to the point that they aren’t even acknowledging collateral damage. That isn’t forced upon them by Hamas, it’s a strategic choice (imo, mistake) the Israeli govt is freely making.