Hamas’ brutal attacks in Israel on October 7 killed at least 1,400 people and the group took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In the wake of the assault, Israel launched an aerial bombardment of Gaza that Palestinian health officials say has killed more than 5,000 people. Israel also announced a “complete siege” on the enclave, withholding vital supplies of water, food and fuel.

  • ???@lemmy.worldOP
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    1 year ago

    Hamas has already shown they will take it and not give it to their citizens.

    So, to Israel, are Gazans less important? Because Israel as already shown they will bomb the Rahah checkpoint and not allow fuel in knowing full well it’s needed for generating electricity and providing clean water?

    I’m genuinely asking: what do you think is Israel’s responsibility towards civilians in Gaza and their own hostages stuck in Gaza as well?

    • HappycamperNZ@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      As with any nation - yes, your citizens are less important than mine.

      I won’t comment on the checkpoint as I am not informed on the full story. I have however formally studied war crime in the general sense (not this specific example though).

      Blockades are legitimate and commonly used in warfare - denying supplies are practical and it can be reasonably assumed they will find their way into the hands of the enemy. Saying that, it must be proportional and cause as little disruption to the civilian population as possible.

      • hamas has shown it will cross borders to kill and abduct civilians, and kill them at a later date (undisputed war crime there).

      • Hamas has shown they will claim aid destined for civilians

      • hamas has shown they will withhold supplies from it citizens

      Therefore, it can be reasonably assumed that any supplies crossing the border will be used in direct action against Israel. If the aid was finding its way to civilians, was being utilized for humanitarian reasons and distinctly separately from armed forces supplies it could be argued that the blockade is now illegal. This would also apply if Hamas was no longer a threat.

      Israel responsibility lies with its citizens first. Does it suck for civilians stuck in the middle - absolutely.

    • mwguy@infosec.pub
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      1 year ago

      Israel as already shown they will bomb the Rahah checkpoint and not allow fuel in knowing full well it’s needed for generating electricity and providing clean water?

      If Hamas steals the fuel. Allowing the fuel in is defacto allowing the military your fighting to resupply.

      Hamas, as the governing body of the Gaza Strip, has a duty to supply it’s populace with sufficient good when conducting a war. It’s inability to do so it’s Hamas’ fault, not the fault of the person they declared war upon.

      • ???@lemmy.worldOP
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        1 year ago

        Collective punishment is a war crime. Why is this being forgotten here? Why does Israel get an okay to commit war crimes and blame it on the population and a government the majority of them didn’t even vote for in 2006 (you do the math, 1.1m Gazans are children, and the other 1.1m other adults needed to have been at least 18 in 2006, and on top of that it was a 40% vote, so the excuse you are making is pure BS to be honest… putting the fault on a “governing body” of a population that is not able to govern itself or have free elections since ever, with Israel making every step in their lives infinitely worse and holding out water).

        Israel = genocide.

        • mwguy@infosec.pub
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          1 year ago

          Collective punishment is a war crime. Why is this being forgotten here?

          Because it’s not collective punishment. Collective punishment is things like the Bombing of Dresden or the Battle of Britain where a military/air force explicitly target civilian infrastructure. Declining to supply your enemy isn’t a war crime.

          a government the majority of them didn’t even vote for in 2006

          Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip in 2004/2005. They’ve been self governing since then. Had they (Israel) forced a regime change in the past they would have been criticized by the world for reneging on their commitment to a two state solution. It’s not a great situation, but polling suggests that Hamas is incredibly popular in both the Strip and the West Bank.