This article from the NY Times seems to be the source: https://archive.li/09NnN
The title makes it sound like Hamas is shooting Israel’s bombs back at Israel, but Hamas’ arsenal are primarily of Iranian origin. The article reports that they do scavenge explosives from unexploded ordinance, but not the amount. However, they do take large amounts of scrap like plumbing pipes from Israeli settlements, which are used to make bombs.
I’m not an explosives expert but I would hazard a guess that scavenging missiles and such that don’t go off is not going to be a viable source of material to make more missiles, factoring in the risk involved.
This Medium article is poorly sourced.
The NYT article is from 2021.
The oft-repeated idea that Iran supplies the majority of Hamas weapons is also poorly sourced. It is usually attributed to the CIA’s World Factbook or former US generals who now are talking heads for think tanks. These sources are highly biased.
But one thing that has been well documented is the Hamas unexploded ordinance team. They have over a decade of experience disarming and retrieving Israeli bombs from Gazan homes and businesses.
“That’s poorly sourced, and that’s poorly, sourced, but here is an idea I’m not going to provide a source for” is not a great move.
Sorry I didn’t want to write an essay, but you’re right, I should have provided more.
I think it’s obvious the Medium article is poorly sourced- there are no links, no quotes, and no attribution whatsoever. Compare it to a write up like Hamas Recycling Unexploded Ordinance in Gaza, which tells the exact same story but it comes with links and quotes, and it names the source as Michael Cardash, the former deputy head of the Israeli National Police Bomb Disposal Division.
As for the Iranian connection, I know I’m going against popular opinion, but I made my claims clear and anyone can try to disprove me.
A quick Google search shows many articles on the bomb disposal unit and tactics inside Gaza dating back to at least 2012. The Inevitable Rearmament of Hamas (2021) gives a good analysis. An even better source for this is the al-Qassam Brigade’s youtube, they post raw war footage including bomb disposal. Unfortunately I dont speak Arabic so I wasnt able to find a specific video.
I see no sources, but I’m an internet armchair activist with no prior knowledge of the subject, nor any in the field, and the confidence and words in which you described your position have convinced me and won me over. You’ve won this internet argument and have my vote.
Oh, you’re too kind! I would like to take credit but in reality I was inspired by people like Chris Jeffries, the writer of this Medium article.
His confident writing style and utter lack of sources was truly an inspiration.
And this is why I don’t read the article, there’s no point. Kind strangers like you will do it for me. Read the material, digest it, and give me the important parts up front. That’s what I love about forums like Reddit and Lemmy. Someone* else more educated on the subject will confidently explain what I need to know and give me my opinion directly. It makes 1., being an internet activist like myself, and 2., being an informed adult, so much easier.
Edit: to break the fourth wall here, though, I’m more making fun of myself and the environment than anyone else, especially anyone else in particular. So, if you feel a little guilty, then self awareness is good. But, if you feel like I’m throwing serious shade at you or your friends… that’s not the intent, but again self awareness is good.
Yes I think we have the same general thesis here, readers should think critically always.
Look at the context here, my unsourced internet comment was in response to xep’s unsourced internet comment.
Xep made 3 claims, and I believe all 3 are incorrect.
Man if there were only some way to prevent explosives from getting to Hamas…
Oh, I know! Use Palestinian hostages to detonate them on-site. That’ll solve two of Netanyahu’s problems at once /s
You know they’ve probably considered that.
Article 7.
“Return to Sender”
Imagine what humanity could do if we used our resources for humanitarian purposes.
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.
This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children…
-President Eisenhower in his ‘chance for peace’ speech
Such as Hamas using their tunnels for food and medicine instead of missiles from Iran?
The world I imagine wouldn’t need tunnels, or land grabs or genocide.
You are an idiot if you think Israel has the monopoly on any of those things.
You’re idiot who thinks they don’t after they carpet bombed Gaza and wiped out 30k+ lives.
Using civilians as human shields is a war crime.
It is also a major tactic by Hamas to sway public opinion by people that know no better. One that has been admitted too for decades. Hamas struck first with a terrible atrocity, they knew what would happen yet they did it anyway. It is on their hands that the blood drips from.
Calling people human shields because they are in their own home as a pretense to bomb them is a war crime.
If a terrorist holds a baby, do you shoot the baby? Well, Israel would be ready to shoot a handful just to kill one person slightly affiliated with Hamas*.
So is targeting civilians
Here is an article where IDF shot a woman and child with any kind of warning of military activity in the area. Worse yet there were no Hamas belligerentsin the area.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/16/middleeast/idf-sniper-gaza-church-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html
Here is a UN report about the number of women and children killed in the first month of the conflict
https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15503.doc.htm
And here is an article that explains how several independent parties verified the death toll reporting of the Gaza Ministry of Health.
https://time.com/6909636/gaza-death-toll/
I have a hard time believing that the 30,000 Hamas were hiding behind 300,000 people.
Pointing fingers at a bad thing to distract from a horrific thing seems like a bad tactic.
If you think the conflict over Palestinians’ right to clean water and electricity started with Hamas, you may already be confused, though.
They do use their tunnels to smuggle in food and water. But its not enough and they shouldn’t have to
Proof the US is supplying Hamas with weapons.
The supply chain is a little fucked though.
