Hamas strike on Israel - mod warning in OP updated 19/10/23

If you feel you post is miss represented then clear up what you mean with your vauge statements

Explain the "war" bit. Who are the IDF fighting now? They have killed 460 civilians in a week. They have increased their bombing this week. Why? What is the new threat? What military objectives did they achieve? What buildings are left standing? Hamas were beaten many months ago. Proxy or not, they were defeated long long ago. They don't fight anymore. So explain the war talk. Are you too blinkered to see it's a one way killing spree for many many months? It's a terror campaign. Why is illegally stopping food/water a "war" aim now too? Honestly you appear hypnotised back to 2023. Inducing famine is not war. It's what sick cowards do. Their actions are not to be cheerleaded.

You should educate yourself on the Iranian cause. It's survival in the face of Islamic extremism. There were mega protests in Iran that were brutally shut down by the regime. A perfect cause for the Palestinian marchers to get behind but for some reason wasn't seen as attractive to do so. I guarantee you if it was an Israeli regime in charge of Iran you'd see it.

IMO the Palestinian marchers lack of support for other issues is damaging their cause and turns a lot of Irish people off the movement. Flying extremist flags like HAMAS or Hezbollah doesn't help either.

Yes I remember the protests in Iran, it was Draconian.

But again I'll ask - similar to Ukraine / Russia, the governments all around the western world sanctioned Iran, they criticized them, and rightly called them out, did they not? What cause is there to march or protest issues that governments are already addressing??

This isn't happening with Israel. Our leaders are allowing genocide to happen when every man woman and child in the world knows deep down this is extremely wrong - it seems some just hate those people enough that they can make up convoluted reasons in their head why this could ever be justified.

Israel are starving 2 million people and there is a plan to steal their land after they are gone. Their politicians speak about this openly and without shame.

No sanctions from the west. Billions worth of arms flowing in from our most powerful nations.

If we say nothing, they are doing it in our name, and that sits very very bad with many people. Do you genuinely not see the difference?

Netanyahu pretty much saying he’d starve them all to death if he could

BBC

Addressing criticism of the blockade, Netanyahu says it has been necessary since the start of the war in Gaza for Israel to prevent a famine "both from a practical and a diplomatic standpoint".

"Simply put, others will not support us; we will not be able to complete the mission of victory," he says. 

"Therefore, we decided to provide minimal humanitarian aid during the war. We advanced with this approach, and of course, we discovered that Hamas was looting some of this aid. So we halted the humanitarian aid."

Netanyahu goes on to say that Israel was "approaching the red line", with senators and friends of Israel telling him "we cannot handle images of starvation, of mass starvation". 

He says a "minimal, basic bridge" is needed "just enough to prevent hunger".

Iran and its proxies seem to get a pass on these boards.

Why do supporters of Israel always have to resort to lies.

@taratee forgive my rudeness but I don't know if you are gullible or delusional.

Israeli government and military are starving millions of people and openly talking of a plan to steal their land after they are gone. They aren't trying to hide it so I'm amazed you haven't come across it.

They are also performing a similar bombing and annexation campaign in the West bank, where there is no Hamas, which would lead one to believe Hamas/ hostages have nothing to do with it.

Can you address this pls?

How many "rockets" have Hamas fired into Israel in the last 12 months? And how many actually caused a death or serious injury?

This is not "war". Hamas are well and truly beaten. They are a pathetic excuse for a combatant. It's a one way wanton killing spree by the cowardly IDF. You must be very gullible not to see that.

I ask these question again..The IDF have killed 460 civilians in a week using indiscriminate bombing on refugees. Dozens of those were children. Brave IDF. They have increased their bombing this week. Why? What is the new threat? What military objectives did they achieve? What buildings are left standing? Hamas were beaten many months ago. Are you too blinkered to see it's a one way killing spree for many many months? It's a terror campaign. Do you think it's legitimate to kill civilians to force a surrender? Why is illegally stopping food/water a "war" aim now too?

Only Palestinians.

By the way Israel will not let the rest of the world have any say in the policing of Gaza. Not a hope. They just want the land without the dehumanised creatures that live there.

I think you need to separate the country from the government. Israel—the country—finished second in the world's biggest music competition over the weekend, winning the public vote by a country mile. Now, I know it's only a song contest, but if the country's reputation were truly in the gutter, millions of people wouldn't have voted for a song - no matter how good the song and performance is - representing that country. While many in Europe are deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza, Israel and it's people are still loved and respected. It’s becoming increasingly clear that support for Palestine—and especially for Hamas—in Europe is a minority view: a very loud, nasty and aggressive minority, but a minority nonetheless.

As a Eurovision watcher, I can explain what happened here. Israeli government spent over €1m on promoting the entry and encouraging people to block vote for the song, including ads all over YouTube. Also, many far right and racist types in Europe (who love Israel naturally) appear to have voted for the song…..perhaps even without watching the contest.

What would you do if you were Israeli and your government was committing these atrocities? Would you push for Netanyahu to face charges? Yes/No

If the Eurovision was a vote, there was no opposition to Israel. Anyone pro-Israel voted Israel and anyone who wasn't pro-Israel split their vote over 20+ other countries.

No, there was clearly opposition to Israel—25 others, to be exact. Nobody was forced to vote for any one country. If people were interested in making an anti-Israel statement, they could have voted for a country that is openly anti-Israel, e.g. Ireland.

His change of mind on aid came about when IDF commanders brought it up, in very strong terms.

It's odd how he points out Hamas stealing some aid yet does not acknowledge the blockade of aid by Israeli civilians and the burning out of aid trucks by Settlers.

It is the legal duty of the aggressor (Israel) to ensure aid is delivered directly to those who need it. Leaving trucks at the border is not in compliance with that duty.

And it's notable he states they will only provide minimal aid. Or, "we'll only half starve them".

But none of this is surprise coming from an alleged War Criminal currently on the run from The Hague.

Which charges? In short, I'll say yes. I’d take to the streets and protest on behalf of the hostages first and foremost. Their release should be the government's top priority, and I don't believe that's the case at this moment. After that, I’d turn my attention to Bibi. He should face trial in Israel for the existing corruption charges, and he should also be investigated—and held accountable, if applicable—for what happened on October 7th. International charges can come afterward, though I suspect that by the time matters are resolved in Israel, the ICC or ICJ will likely have a new toy to play with at that point.