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Hamas isn't first military group to hide behind civilians as a way to wage war
By Benjamin Jensen WASHINGTON©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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Mr Kipling
Israel isn't first military group to lie about civilians as a way to wage genocide.
sakurasuki
Military against civilians, let's check history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_1948_Palestinian_expulsion_and_flight
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakba
GuruMick
Lots of unproved anti Hamas claims in what reads like a pro IDF piece.
Israel has lots of precision weapons on war planes yet seems unable to distinguish civilian areas.
Given the terrible civilian death toll in Gaza the "human shield theory " doesnt seem to stack up.
Alfie Noakes
To be fair to Hamas, that restaurant, boutique and cinema complex they built under the hospital was really stylish. The nail salon was the equal of anything you'd see in Tokyo.
TaiwanIsNotChina
And also when Assad effectively used barrel bombs and chemical weapons in response?
Redemption
I believe history will judge us harshly for what is happening now. I believe Hamas made a blunder that has no conceivable good endgame for them.
opheliajadefeldt
It does not matter to the Israeli's or Hamas how many 'innocents' die, their only aim is the destruction of each other. The same can be said of other countries waging wars, civilians casualties do not matter, they may say otherwise and pretend they do, but just look at the previous wars in history, especially before gunpowder and bombs, nearly all governments were complacement with what they were doing.
wallace
The targeting of Arab civilians by the IDF is a war crime.
In WW2 British ammo factories and depots were hidden in large housing estates. They were made to look like housing. In front of our family home was an ammo depot.
wallace
On Oct. 7 Hamas released a mad dog.
Aly Rustom
HaHaHa! Brilliant Alfie!
1glenn
What Hamas did is terrible, but they were hoping that the IDF would attack Gaza in a knee-jerk response, resulting in a propaganda victory for Hamas.
Two wrongs don't make a right.
Anonymous
My reason for being anti-Hamas has little to do with tunnels under Gaza. Knowing of Hamas’ face-to-face slaughter of families in Israel is sufficient reason to be anti-Hamas and predispose me to believe that almost everything they say are lies.
Desert Tortoise
Three quotes by retired General James Mattis come to mind.
"We should not fight wars without a clearly defined end state... when you go to war, it can't be a half-step."
"Don't create more enemies than you take out by some immoral act."
"The fundamental question I believe is, 'Is political Islam in our best interest?' If not, what is our policy to authoritatively support the countervailing forces?"
In a time of great peril Israel it being very poorly led. The Israeli leadership has ignored all three of General Mattis warnings. That last quote applies across the board to all democratic nations btw.
Desert Tortoise
I am not justifying Hamas but they do not exist in isolation. There is an understandable reason why they exist.
Desert Tortoise
Dropping barrel bombs from helicopters is a tactic first used by the Philadelphia Police Department
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/move-bombing/
Desert Tortoise
Another quote of General Mattis:
*"Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. While we will move swiftly and aggressively against those who resist, we will treat all others with decency, demonstrating chivalry and soldierly compassion for people who have endured a lifetime under Saddam’s oppression,”*
Desert Tortoise
Even if Israel manages to destroy Hamas, which I highly doubt, unless the Israelis start treating Palestinians with dignity and respect, including respecting their right to their land, another group just like Hamas only even more barbaric will arise. What I really think happens is that this war strengthens Hamas greatly just as Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah ended up making Hezbollah a regional power with a military wing that rivals the armies of some of its neighbors. Judging from the debate in their Knesset over a proposed death penalty for Hamas members and supporters the Israelis have no plan to win the peace if by sheer chance they are able to win the war.