Middle East Conflict

[halfcenturyup]

So what do we all think of the IDF's evidence? Nothing in their first attempt about a command and control centre under the hospital. Just a bag, some weapons and a laptop found in one place. All suspiciously small enough to be carried. Not looking like any concrete proof of anything they claimed, which makes me think they don't have it which, in turn, makes the Israelis and the Americans look rather foolish. Irresponsibly so.

 

[halfcenturyup]

So far it looks like they're saying one bad guy might have been hiding there, at some time.

Perhaps the most cynical thing was the PR photo of all the boxes with newly printed labels saying "medical supplies" in English.

All conveniently stacked with the enormous labels pointing at the camera. Yes, I thought that. They really are hopeless at PR. They need some training.

 

[goalmole]

So far it looks like they're saying one bad guy might have been hiding there, at some time.

Perhaps the most cynical thing was the PR photo of all the boxes with newly printed labels saying "medical supplies" in English.

You've got to be a moron to believe that bollocks.
It's amateurish beyond belief.
Laughable.
I can't believe they could be that stupid to put that kind of stuff out there.

 

[goalmole]

All conveniently stacked with the enormous labels pointing at the camera. Yes, I thought that. They really are hopeless at PR. They need some training.

They can get all the training they want.
You can't hide the truth.
The only people who believe them are their sycophantic cheerleaders in the West.

 

[halfcenturyup]

They can get all the training they want.
You can't hide the truth.
The only people who believe them are their sycophantic cheerleaders in the West.

To be fair, truth these days is whatever anyone wants it to be. Your truth nay not be someone else's truth and neither may be the actual truth.

But the Israelis aren't even good at convincing us of what they want us to believe is their version of the truth. Unless they come up with some convincing control and command centre it's +1 Hamas, -1 Israel and -10 America on this latest episode.

Maybe they don't actually give a fuck and all these attempts at PR are to appease their sponsors. It won't work unless they do it right.

 

[goalmole]

To be fair, truth these days is whatever anyone wants it to be. Your truth nay not be someone else's truth and neither may be the actual truth.

But the Israelis aren't even good at convincing us of what they want us to believe is their version of the truth. Unless they come up with some convincing control and command centre it's +1 Hamas, -1 Israel and -10 America on this latest episode.

Maybe they don't actually give a fuck and all these attempts at PR are to appease their sponsors. It won't work unless they do it right.

You can get away with a lot of you have some credibility in the bank.
The worldwide protests and reaction have shown that Israel's credibility is shot.

 

[BayernMan]

 

[Keeper!]

Dutch embassy warned that Israel uses "disproportionate force" in Gaza

A confidential memo from the Dutch Defense Attache at the embassy in Tel Aviv warned the government that the Israeli army “intends to deliberately cause enormous destruction to infrastructure and civilian centers” in the Gaza Strip, which explains the “high number of deaths” among Palestinian...

nltimes.nl

Leak of confidential Israel memo sparks outrage in Dutch parliament

www.euractiv.com

Oh dear.

Wow thats a shock, meanwhile the carnage and death continues unabated.

 

[halfcenturyup]

Well, fuck me. Go ahead and do what you want to Gaza, but you have to let Palestinian Americans travel from the West Bank to Israel. The humanity!

 

[halfcenturyup]

Hospitals are not a legitimate targets, it is illegal to attack a hospital under international law. The IDF have been attacking hospitals.

I suppose we need to be clear on this. Hospitals are protected under IHL. They can lose that protection if they are used to "commit acts harmful to the enemy". Even then, they can't be attacked without warnings and, even if those warnings are ignored, care must be given to wounded and sick and active measures must be taken to protect them.

To be fair to the IDF, they seem to have followed these steps IF you accept their claim that the hospital has lost its protection.

And this is the problem the IDF now have. Their claim, as far as I understand it, was based on a command and control centre being operated under (and presumably connected to) the hospital, and there being Hamas fighters inside. Unless, they can provide unequivocal proof of either of those, then the presumption has to be that the hospital was, indeed, protected, which makes its occupation illegal under IHL.

I think :)