Israel formally declares war against Hamas as it battles to push militants off its soil | CNN
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Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Sunday, setting the stage for a major military operation in Gaza as fighting rages on Israeli soil. The declaration comes after Hamas, an Islamist militant group, launched a surprise assault this weekend that has so far killed over 600 Israelis.

Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Sunday, setting the stage for a major military operation in Gaza as fighting rages on Israeli soil. The declaration comes after Hamas, an Islamist militant group, launched a surprise assault this weekend that has so far killed over 600 Israelis.

Saturday was the deadliest day in decades for Israel and came after months of surging violence between Palestinians and Israelis, with the long-running conflict now heading into uncharted and dangerous new territory. Questions remain over how the Israeli military and intelligence apparatus appeared to be caught off guard in one of the country’s worst security failures.

Over 400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as Israel responds with airstrikes in the densely-inhabited enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed retaliation, warning his country would take “mighty vengeance” and was readying for “a long and difficult war.”

He urged Palestinians living in Gaza to “leave now.”

  • @[email protected]English
    27•1 year ago

    It’s hard to believe all of the 400 deaths in the immediate reprisals were military casualties.

    Killing civilians just stokes the war engine, driving recruitment up on the military, perpetuating the cycle.

    Hamas wants the total destruction of Israel, we can’t make peace with Hamas. Driving the population into supporting Hamas is going to extend the conflict. Giving people better options and hope then Hamas is required for some stabile solution. (Not peace, to have peace people need to be free)

    • @flossdailyEnglish
      -13•1 year ago

      Palestinians voted Hamas into power. They did this to themselves.

      After decades of terrorism not working, they opted for more terrorism.

      • @[email protected]English
        9•1 year ago

        Winning hearts and minds means we have to try to understand why the average person thought Hamas was their best option, and giving them better options.

        Also your logic is inconsistent. Palensteniens did this to themselves, so Palestinien civilian deaths are ok and unavoidable… that logic also works if you reverse the names.

        So either killing civilians is bad and nobody should do it, or killing civilians is acceptable… both sides have to be measured by the same metric, you can’t have both.

        • @flossdailyEnglish
          -4•1 year ago

          The problem with that argument is that you’ve completely removed intent from it.

          Hamas INTENDS to murder innocent civilians… Hamas INTENDS to use civilians as human shields seek that any retaliation will get them killed.

          Israel goes to extraordinary lengths to minimum civilian casualties, calling ahead to give I people a chance to evacuate military targets before demolishing them.

          So by all means, measure the same metric: intent

          • @[email protected]English
            5•1 year ago

            Intent is interperative and very hard to prove, we can measure non-combatant deaths. If a building is bombed to kill a single solider does it matter if there are 99 non-combatents in the building? What if the wrong building was hit and no soldiers die?

            Air raid reprisals by their very nature will have civilian collateral, explaining to people that these civilian deaths are ok but not opposing civilian deaths… is not going to erode support for Hamas.

            There used to be a military doctrine that all able bodied people of fighting age were legitimate military targets, the intent isn’t to harm civilians but to diminish military man power reserves. Does that makes it ok to kill civilians who are potential soldiers? If that’s ok, then a dance party is filled with military candidates as well as a refugee shelter…

            There are no winners when we say civilian deaths are ok for me but not for thee. Civilians should be able to opt out of fighting… by fleeing to safety…

          • @[email protected]English
            5•1 year ago

            Much like the US, when Israeli soldiers and LEO fuck up I’m not convinced they’re held properly accountable. The official purpose isn’t to murder civilians but that only holds water if there’s accountability.

            • @flossdailyEnglish
              -1•1 year ago

              I don’t disagree.

              On the other hand, Palestinian police make literally zero effort to reign in their own terrorists.