Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Palestinian civilians in Gaza were “responsible” for the Saturday attack by Hamas.
“It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true this rhetoric about civilians [being] not aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true,” Herzog said Friday. “They could have risen up, they could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d’état.”
“I agree there are many innocent Palestinians who don’t agree with this, but if you have a missile in your goddamn kitchen and you want to shoot it at me, am I allowed to defend myself? We have to defend ourselves, we have the full right to do so,” he added.
The Israeli president made the comments while calling for over 1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate in 24 hours. The evacuation was first announced to Gaza residents via leaflets from the Israel Defense Forces.
“Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields,” the leaflets read. “This evacuation is for your own safety. You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made.”
Hamas has told people in Gaza to ignore the evacuation order.
“Israel is removing Palestinians from their homes and lands for a second time, and we have responded to the Zionist crimes by targeting them and Ben Gurion,” Abu Obaida, spokesperson of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, said. “Displacement and exile are not for us, Israel is carrying out psychological warfare through the threats and their dark history, which shows they carry out crimes and killings as a form of collective punishment.”
The United Nations has called the evacuation “impossible,” due to the large number of people asked to leave the area, according to CNN. John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, called the evacuation a “tall order.”
“We understand what they’re trying to do: They’re trying to move civilians out of harm’s way and giving them fair warning. Now it’s a tall order. It’s a million people and very urban, dense environment. It’s already a combat zone. So I don’t think anybody’s underestimating the challenge here of effecting that evacuation,” Kirby told CNN.
The war between Hamas and Israel started on Saturday when Hamas soldiers attacked Israel from Gaza. Hamas killed over 1,000 people and took over 100 hostages in that attack, according to NPR. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by many countries including the U.S., Israel and those in the European Union. Since the beginning of the war, Israel says Hamas killed 1,300 people. The Palestinian health ministry reports 1,800 killed in Gaza.
Which is nothing but a demand that they allow terrorists into their borders and face endless attacks upon their children and government. So you offer no solutions, only demands that Israel suffer or be destroyed. The answer is no. I oppose terrorism, so I oppose Hamas, and I support Israel’s right to defend itself. So long as they commit to a war against Hamas, they are justified in that defense. Israel does not have to suffer the death of its people to prevent the deaths of Palestinians.
Then you support terrorism and genocide. Hopefully wiser minds than yours prevail.
You didn’t actually object to what I said. Do you admit, then, that you stand for the destruction of Israel? What a stupid position. You think they’re going to roll over and just die because that would make you feel better? They exist. Deal with it. Cry about it. They aren’t doing anything you or I wouldn’t do in their position. It’s because I have empathy that I support their pursuit of peace. There can be no peace with Hamas at their borders, so Hamas must be removed from their borders.
All of which the Palestinian people could have done, by the way. They could have spent the blood of their children to seek out the destruction of Hamas. Instead, they allow Israeli children to be murdered. There will be no peace this way, so Israel must make peace through war.
You could have advocated for an egalitarian state which protects the rights of all, but instead you advocate for war. Do you admit, then, that you stand for the destruction of the Palestinian people?
I don’t admit that, nor would I ever advocate that. I stand for the destruction of Hamas, a terrorist organization that would dedtroy you or I without hesitation. That’s what you’re defending. That’s what you refuse to denounce. You demand the Jewish people let themselves be destroyed. It’s not going to happen, and any group that tries will face the consequences. Again I’ll quote the article to you.
“I agree there are many innocent Palestinians who don’t agree with this, but if you have a missile in your goddamn kitchen and you want to shoot it at me, am I allowed to defend myself? We have to defend ourselves, we have the full right to do so,” he added."
Funny that you can’t bring yourself to denounce the actions of a literal terrorist organization. You wouldn’t be in favor of murdering and brutalizing Jewish babies, would you?
Of course not. But you do.
No one is fooled by your attempt to manipulate, murderer.
Again, you have no solution, just a demand Israel let their children be endlessly attacked and murdered. Keep crying, then. I don’t care and neither does Israel. Hamas is the aggressor with a committed charter to see the complete destruction of Israel. This is what a war looks like. I’m not sorry you can’t have what you want, the complete destruction of a state of people.
I did give you a solution. You didn’t want to hear it because the only solution you want to hear is eliminationist.
Your solution is for Israel to welcome Hamas into their borders. You did not offer a solution at all. Unless you think the destruction of Israel is a solution.