naraburns nihil supernum
7mo ago
(text post)
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Israel-Gaza Megathread #2
This is a refreshed megathread for any posts on the conflict between (so far, and so far as I know) Hamas and the Israeli government, as well as related geopolitics. Culture War thread rules apply.
This is pretty much the doctrine I've been hearing about in the context of collateral damage to civilians in Gaza from Israeli bombs targeted at Hamas -- so long as you are doing your best to hit military targets, if you accidentally hit a hospital it's OK, right? Hamas' best happens to be indiscriminately spraying crappy rockets across the border.
so long as you are doing your best to hit military targets, if you accidentally hit a hospital it's OK, right?
That is in fact consistent with the laws of war. (Regardless of whether you're referring to Hamas or Israel). For Hamas to have been lobbing rockets at Israel all these years has been acts of war, but not necessarily war crimes if they were trying to hit military installations but just sucked at it. (It seems unlikely that's what they were up to, and certainly their attack a few weeks ago included war crimes, but lobbing rockets at acceptable targets and missing is not a war crime)
That's what it is, though. Likely for the reason that no reasonably honest nation would sign on to a rule of war that required they not kill civilians even by accident.
Oh sure -- but when it comes down to it the 'laws of war' are kind of bullshit that way, and mostly only get applied to the losers of wars. The squishyness is a feature (we have 'collateral damage', you do 'terror attacks') -- but it means there's not much point in thinking too hard about them during ongoing conflicts. You of all people are surely aware of this?
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Notes -
My priors are completely opposite. Zionists have more influence over American news, business, and foreign policy than the Arab world.
Evidence? The equivalent, Hamas hitting an Israeli hospital, has already happened twice. Did you hear about the that?
I did, yes. I don’t recall there being casualties.
So you are fine with targeting hospitals provided you suck at war and manage (despite your intentions) to not kill anyone?
This is pretty much the doctrine I've been hearing about in the context of collateral damage to civilians in Gaza from Israeli bombs targeted at Hamas -- so long as you are doing your best to hit military targets, if you accidentally hit a hospital it's OK, right? Hamas' best happens to be indiscriminately spraying crappy rockets across the border.
(to be clear, I think this is bad!)
That is in fact consistent with the laws of war. (Regardless of whether you're referring to Hamas or Israel). For Hamas to have been lobbing rockets at Israel all these years has been acts of war, but not necessarily war crimes if they were trying to hit military installations but just sucked at it. (It seems unlikely that's what they were up to, and certainly their attack a few weeks ago included war crimes, but lobbing rockets at acceptable targets and missing is not a war crime)
The main problem with it is (as with all doctrines that hinge on knowing the intent of belligerent parties) it seems pretty vulnerable to abuse...
That's what it is, though. Likely for the reason that no reasonably honest nation would sign on to a rule of war that required they not kill civilians even by accident.
Oh sure -- but when it comes down to it the 'laws of war' are kind of bullshit that way, and mostly only get applied to the losers of wars. The squishyness is a feature (we have 'collateral damage', you do 'terror attacks') -- but it means there's not much point in thinking too hard about them during ongoing conflicts. You of all people are surely aware of this?
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