Israeli prime minister says country can ‘stand alone’ and cites the ‘heroism and arms embargo’ of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war

Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israel will stand alone and “fight with our fingernails” in defiance of US threats to further restrict arms deliveries if Israeli forces proceeded with an offensive on the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was speaking on Thursday after Israeli and Hamas delegations left the ceasefire negotiations in Cairo.

It was unclear whether the talks had broken down or simply paused, but the failure to reach an agreement on this week’s round of meetings raised apprehension of an imminent Israeli attack on Rafah.

Netanyahu appeared to shrug off a public warning from the US president, Joe Biden, the previous night that if the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a major offensive on the city the US would not provide bombs and artillery shells to support the operation.

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  • efstajas@lemmy.worldEnglish
    31·
    2 months ago

    You keep making this argument but I just don’t get. How does the supposed presence of Hamas in / under / around a target full of innocent civilians and children in any way justify bombing the area with what can only be described as full disregard for innocent casualties? Would you be ok with the IDF carpet bombing a hospital full of Israeli citizens based on intelligence that a bunch of Hamas are holed up in the basement? If not, why is it okay if it’s innocent Palestinians instead?

    Yes, Hamas strategy of endangering citizens is horrible. Does it give Israel blanket permission to just bomb densely populated civilian areas? Absolutely fucking not!

    • InformalTrifle@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      2 months ago

      They aren’t blanket bombing civilians. They’re fighting a difficult war in an urban environment against terrorists who hide behind civilians, against civilians who support the terrorists, and telling civilians to evacuate but many are coerced into staying by Hamas, and despite all that, they’re still harming less civilians than would be normal in a war in those circumstances.

      So no, I wouldn’t be ok with blanket bombing any hospital full of innocent people. I would be ok with bombing a hospital where innocents have been told to leave and where terrorists and their weapons are located.

      Tell me where are all the protests against Hamas? Where are all the people calling for them to surrender? All I hear is apologies for their acts

      • efstajas@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        telling civilians to evacuate

        My dude, where the hell do you think these people can just go to? There is barely any land not under attack these days, and even if there is somewhere safe to go to, not everyone can just leave either because they physically can’t or just don’t have the means. Especially true when we’re talking about goddamn hospitals…

        many are coerced into staying by Hamas

        Again, a great reason not to bomb the area if that’s known to be the case.

        So no, I wouldn’t be ok with blanket bombing any hospital full of innocent people.

        Then why aren’t you condemning Israel’s conduct? This is exactly what’s happening.

        I would be ok with bombing a hospital where innocents have been told to leave and where terrorists and their weapons are located.

        So, let me rephrase the question: in a hypothetical situation where hundreds of Israelis were kept in a location with a bunch of Hamas in the basement and coerced to stay there by hamas, do you think the IDF would be justified in bombing it?

        Tell me where are all the protests against Hamas?

        I don’t even want to engage with this point because it’s not relevant in this discussion whatsoever. Unless you think innocent people deserve being bombed because they don’t demonstrate against a violent regime within an active warzone while trying to survive.