We held a virtual encounter with Al-Farra and his patients this past Monday via a video call. In the past few weeks, we’ve sought to document what starvation looks like in Gaza, to witness the gravity of the situation with our own eyes. Israel doesn’t allow journalists into the Strip, but via video we’ve been able to conduct real-time, online tours of hospitals and clinics.
For this article we conducted four such tours, in different places, and conducted separate conversations with another 12 doctors, 10 of them volunteers from the United States and Britain, who are currently in the Gaza Strip or were there recently. What we saw there left no room for doubt about the scale of the horror.
Israel would stop if Hamas unconditionally surrendered and released all hostages. They would have to, and they would. And they would continue to occupy Gaza and be assholes, but the violence would go way down and the aid embargo would be lifted.
If you all are so condemning of Hamas, why is the response to ‘if only Hamas would surrender’ so angry and attacking of Israel. Why deflect this way? Yes if Israel weren’t doing bad stuff there would be less bad stuff happening; but that’s a different thing.
You react vehemently against the notion that Hamas should surrender but claim you agree Hamas should surrender.
Hamas would stop if israel end occupation
This is an appeal to common decency fallacy. No one is forced to do something because it is decent. Israel is proof of that with it’s indecent attacks on civilians. The evidence we have indicates Israel’s governments wants to be at war to maintain its grip on power. They are actively ignoring a proposal that is effectively equivalent to one they already agreed to previously.
My suspicion is that Israel only agreed thinking Hamas would not. Now that Hamas has agreed to it Israel is in an awkward spot. And no doubt Israel would be even more mask off if Hamas blatantly surrendered.
Because your argument is a collection of fallacies and genocide apologia. And it’s not the first time it’s been trotted out. Hamas isn’t the organization bombing Gaza right now. And sure Hamas definitely wanted this to happen, but that doesn’t excuse Israel’s disregard of international law and human decency.
The idea that Israel would cease attacking civilians if Hamas surrendered is false based on the evidence of a genocide being live streamed to our phones. For Israel, the genocide is the goal. Netanyahu wants to form a greater Israel and deny Palestinian statehood.
There is no justification for attacking civilians. Calling Palestinians human shields is not a valid legal or moral argument, it is a dehumanization tactic. The fact that Israel is at war with Hamas doesn’t matter. If Israel would follow international law this would end today. If Israel would acknowledge their shared humanity with the Palestinians this would end today.
Israel is the one bombing civilians. If Israel would stop bombing civilians this would end today. edit: typos
But if you agree that Hamas is despicable, why not call for it to surrender? You don’t think it would stop Israel, but it could. No, you can’t bring yourself to do that. Why? Because you don’t want Israel to ‘win’? The chance of saving children isn’t worth that much to you?
If we agree that Israel is despicable why don’t you tell them to end occupation
Yes, I’d love that also. Anything to stop the killing. Of course we need security for all - if Israel completely withdraws, security would have to be provided by someone or else Hamas would just build up and attack like before.
The occupied security first. I already told you . If hamas refuse to drop arms , a free palestine will it’s army will fight them on behalf of israel. So there is zero justification for settler colonialism. Zero
Why can’t you say war criminals should turn themselves over to the ICJ?
The actions of one group of people have no bearing over the actions of another group of people. Hamas does not control Israel. Hamas is not making Israel kill civilians. Israel can stop killing civilians whenever they want.
What is Israel winning here? Global isolation? Crimes against humanity? Increasing antisemitism?
No, killing children isn’t worth making the world a worse place for all of us.