JERUSALEM (AP) — The head of surgery at Gaza’s largest and most advanced hospital held up his phone Saturday to the hammering of gunfire and artillery shelling. “Listen,” said Dr. Marwan Abu Sada as fighting raged around Shifa Hospital.

  • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I wonder if a lot of people’s idea of war has been shaped by the recent American occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, which were wars of choice where at least in theory American soldiers were fighting largely for the benefit of the natives. Countries that believe they actually need to win and don’t have the option of just giving up and going home fight wars in a very different way. Consider for example World War II, the proverbial “good versus evil” war fought by the generation that originally came up with the comic book characters you read about. The Allies certainly didn’t hesitate to kill enormous numbers of Axis civilians in the course of destroying military targets. (IMO the Allies actually went way too far and a lot of the strategic bombing of Germany and Japan served no military purpose, but I suppose they were more worried about bombing too little than they were about bombing too much.)

    • Nobody@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      The total war tactics of WW2 are unthinkable by modern standards, but it’s hard not to sympathize with an outgunned army fighting for their home. They fight because they’d rather die than lose.

      Maybe instead of fighting people in that position, you talk to them and work out a peace deal. If they’re willing to be reasonable, end the violence.

      • fiah@discuss.tchncs.de
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        1 year ago

        If they’re willing to be reasonable

        they’ve shown time and time again, through actions and words, that they are not

            • fluke@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Didn’t happen in a vacuum though, did it.

              Do not confuse me saying that with sympathising with Hamas. It is possible to recognise that both sides have bloody hands, and have done for decades.

              • steventhedev@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Can you explain what you mean by “Didn’t happen in a vacuum”?

                Best I can figure is that you disagree with the act itself, but agree with their motives or desires. But I really don’t want to assume, and would prefer to understand from you.

                • Evkob@lemmy.ca
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                  1 year ago

                  If I keep poking you in the eye for decades, wouldn’t you eventually get tired of it and punch me in the face?

                  • PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee
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                    1 year ago

                    What about when the Palestinians tried to overthrow the Jordanian government, and when they successfully did it to Lebanon?

                  • Argonne@lemmy.world
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                    1 year ago

                    Both sides have been punching each other. There needs to be an independent party here, like a two state solution. Guess which side rejected that though?

            • Count042@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              Israel attacked, at a minimum, 17 years ago.

              Blockading a country is an act of war.