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Over the last few weeks, we have seen that the current casualties of the Arab-Israeli conflict are not the soldiers of the opposing sides, but their civilians. This is extremely unfortunate.
In the case of the Israeli side, although they try to avoid civilian casualties, their weaponry is like taking a blunt axe to do surgery. Of the 900 Palestinian dead (as of January 12th), some estimate that 25% of those casualties are civilians.
Because the Gaza strip is blockaded, hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, and supplies are always short. But Israel is not the only villain in this war. Hamas is intentionally sending long range rockets towards the cities and towns of Israel. These rockets disrupt the daily lives of Israeli citizens, destroying properties and lives.
Hamas is refusing to end the rocket attacks, despite the obvious cost it has on its own citizens in the Gaza Strip. Hamas operates rocket sites in dense urban areas, making it extremely hard for the Israelis to strike at them. The result of this is more civilian casualties.
In the end, it will not be the authorities who will pay for their actions. Average citizens of their respective countries will suffer. One can only hope that this conflict will end sooner rather than later.
10 again • Jan 14, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Targeting of civilians? The air strikes are designed to hit underground tunnels where Hamas gunmen are hiding, destroy traps set to capture IDF soldiers, and hit trucks and wagons carrying rockets that will be sent towards southern Israel.
And the attacks are the farthest thing from “disproportionate.” For years, Hamas has been firing rockets into southern Israeli cities. Even during the six month ceasefire, they sent a little over 40 rockets into Sderot. If Hamas would quit hiding behind their innocent people in public locations, then those police and security offices in Gaza would not be destroyed. Hiding in hospitals and kindergartens is a pathetic way to show the world that you’re in trouble.
The entire point of the ground attack was to minimize civilian deaths, which it has done. You can go ahead and blame Hamas for more than half of the deaths of the Palestinian civilians, with Hamas having used them as human shields. Is it ethical to grab an innocent five year old child and drag him along the street in order to fend off a possible sniper? It most certainly isn’t.
The fact of the matter is that Hamas’s resistance is causing an even great amount of damage to the Gaza population.
phat pharm • Jan 14, 2009 at 10:29 AM
apathy, this is a load of hogwash. how can you honestly defend palestine, hamas, and qassam when they have been doing the exact same slaughter method to Israel for years. is it really wrong for Israel to finally defend itself after all these years of trying to make a peaceful ceasefire?
Apathy • Jan 13, 2009 at 7:54 AM
The Israeli Defense force estimates that of the 900 Palestinians dead from the conflict, roughly 400 are Hamas militants. The rest of the 500 or so are either civilians or policemen. If my math is right , that is closer to 50% as opposed to your 25% citation.
As of now, Israel is guilty of the following; “collective punishment” of all 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip in response to the actions of a few; ”targeting of civilians” by carrying out air strikes in the most densely populated area of the Middle East; and ”disproportionate military response” in that Israeli’ attacks have destroyed every police and security office of Gaza’s elected government, and killed and injured hundreds of civilians.
Hamas is guilty for “Utilizing the presence of a civilian […] to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations.”
2010 • Jan 12, 2009 at 10:41 PM
The 900 palestinian citizens wouldn’t be dead if Hamas would stop using innocent citizens as shields. It is true that Israel try to harm the lowest amount of civilians possible, but if after 8 years and over 8,500 qassam rockets fired into southern Israel, it’s about time that the Israeli government did something to fight back. When you get down to it, Hamas will do whatever it takes to protect the inner party members, constantly showing that they don’t care for the palestinian citizens living in Gaza, and that is why their death toll is so high up, to convince the world that Israel are the “villains” as you put it. While I am not intentionally trying to criticize this article, I am just trying to inform you that the current situation as the American media portrays it is highly influenced by propaganda tactics as well as illogical views.