How 'laws of war' apply to conflict between Israel and Hamas

That said, I do not believe that Israel is an occupying power in Gaza under a strict reading of the law.

Lots of people would be served well by reading this.

Its a pity the USA did not apply these rules in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. The estimation of the deaths in Iraq are 2.4 million. 70,000 in Afghanistan, and 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a result of after the effects of agent orange and that 500,000 children were born with birth defects. NO war criminals were ever brought to trial.

Israel, the U.S. and others label Hamas fighters as terrorists. Hamas’s recent acts – indiscriminately firing thousands of rockets into Israel, targeting, killing and taking civilians as hostages – are acts of terrorism in warfare and qualify as war crimes.

Without a doubt.

Yet, protests against Israel were being held after Hamas massacred 1400 civilians but before Israel even responded back militarily.

opheliajadefeldtToday 01:04 pm JST

Its a pity the USA did not apply these rules in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.

I suppose you think the Taliban and the Viet Cong followed the Geneva Conventions?

The estimation of the deaths in Iraq are 2.4 million.

Find better sources: you don't get to blame people being killed by ISIS or Iranian militias on the US. Some regions of the world are just tinderboxes waiting to explode.

70,000 in Afghanistan,

You think wars happen without deaths? You think the US was the only combatant in Afghanistan?

and 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a result of after the effects of agent orange and that 500,000 children were born with birth defects. NO war criminals were ever brought to trial.

Vietnam is not a party to the Rome statute. They would have to sign that and then go back in time to get the people responsible. Or people can get on with life.

You think wars happen without deaths? You think the US was the only combatant in Afghanistan?

and 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a result of after the effects of agent orange and that 500,000 children were born with birth defects. NO war criminals were ever brought to trial.

Agent Orange was used indiscriminately against VC, North Vietnamese and US and allied. Our own Pentagon did not/does not give a damn who it affected. And in recent wars the US has used 'burn pits' and DU bullets - again, with no consideration for 'them' or 'us'.

Or people can get on with life.

How can they do that? In Cambodia even now, a schoolboy steps on a landmine laid by Japanese, French, American, VC, Khmer Rouge or Communist Vietnamese and gets killed or maimed for life. And even a few years after Desert Storm some veterans from that had stomach, waste problems and even painful sex that resulted in children born with no arms.

Wars are good for nothing. This one especially is going to have no winners.

starpunkToday 02:12 pm JST

Or people can get on with life.

How can they do that?

The exact way Vietnam has gotten on with life. Their government is still garbage, but they don't harbor any grievance towards the US. In return the US has been willing to do what it can to help remove Agent Orange.

In return the US has been willing to do what it can to help remove Agent Orange.

The effects still linger on - in American, Australian, Vietnamese veterans and their children. The damage hurts all the people who were involved in some way. Just like the 1991 Gulf War has done the same and only recently the USA has started acknowledging it is a problem.

"In the case of Gaza, this rule requires that before launching an attack, the Israeli military analyze and determine the likely effect on civilians. If it appears that such an attack will cause disproportionate civilian casualties, then it must be suspended or canceled."

Except if the goal of Israel is (as it has consistently been) the elimination of Palestine and the annexation of all Palestinian land.

Except if the goal of Israel is (as it has consistently been) the elimination of Palestine and the annexation of all Palestinian land.

That's not the goal if Israel, but it is the goal of Palestinian Arabs to eliminate Israel and steal their land.