- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmy.ml
The IDF revealed on Friday, what it described as intelligence showing a Hamas command center located under a the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In a briefing, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told members of the foreign press corps that there are areas in the hospitals that are used by Hamas to direct its military operations.
Not quite - you are meant to respond in a proportional way and minimise civilian casualties. It sucks, but civilians die in war and this must be minimal.
Level the whole building - non proportional, didn’t minimize casualties, probably a war crime (as it is a military target it may be considered acceptable).
Blockades to remove hamas strength and stop aid supplies that aren’t getting to civilians anyway- proportional and minimises as opposed to what else can be done.
Restricting resources then invasion - legal to remove a threat, proportional, minimize casualties.
Interestingly this is the exact same response a police force will do if someone blockades themselves inside a building with human shields and takes pot shots at everyone walking past - starve, remove strength and resources, get as many hostages out as you can then invade it.
Using civilians as a human shield in a state-state conflict is a war crime, however if hamas is considered a terrorist organization rather than a state it is no longer war and not technically a war crime. I believe other laws come into play however, its been a while.
I don’t have a problem with crushing the Al-Qassam Brigades or crushing Hamas leadership structure. I do have a problem with the loose definition of human shield and pretending the health ministry is the Al-Qassam Brigades.
I root for team civilian but even if I had a special place in my heart for Israel, I think what they’re doing is counterproductive. Every civilian killed means two terrorists a few years from now.
From what I understand, putting militarily installations in places of worship, schools, hospitals and similar, is a war crime even in non-international conflicts.
Ah I see Israel skipped this step because they don’t care about the hostages (and neither does Egypt for that matter)