I don’t think anyone is planning to use them in a strategic way. They are being used as cannon fodder. Man, I wish they could at least get the kids out of there somehow. The one’s that survive this will be wrecked.
Yes of course. Pawns can also be used as cannon fodder in chess. But I will stop the chess analogies.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is no fan of Hamas, if that makes you feel any better. Yet it was not Hamas their military wing was attacking the other day.
Honestly, my guess is that Hamas is fairly popular. Hamas is not some alien invader. It’s a home-grown expression of the people’s hatred of Israel.
The “Day of Jihad” (called for by Hamas) has begun, I guess.
Also in China.
Here’s hoping it doesn’t get worse.
A Reuters reporter had been killed, and several other reporters from various agencies have been wounded. There don’t seem to be any details, yet.
that phrase makes it sound like whatever happened was completely out of their decision space … Lets not forget that the Hamas was elected in Gaza as government …
People could have pushed for a more moderate course of action …over the past 2 decades
a way to put it - also using an euphemism:
… they started out at a disadvantage, in a hole, but they took many times decisions to put the shovel into the ground to dig in further …
7 posts were merged into an existing topic: Discussion thread for the Hamas Attacks Israel thread, October 2023
The stabbing in France may or may not be related to the war. Likely is, but France has had numerous incidents of Islamic violence. Right now an aggravating factor may be that France has banned any pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
AP says it was Israeli shelling.
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Per Times of Israel, IDF says boots are on the ground inside Gaza. It sounds like special forces groups taking out specific targets, perhaps looking for intelligence on hostages.
No direct link to any more extensive story, it’s on their front page as a brief “live” report.
Israeli news gave a little more detail - the IDF spokesperson says that they clearwd out some Hamas positions, destroyed weaponry, and acquired some information about the location of hostages.
I know that Hamas has encouraged civilians to defy the evacuation order; do we know that they are actually preventing people from moving south?
2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Discussion thread for the Hamas Attacks Israel thread, October 2023
A million people, most of whom will have to move on foot due to lack of fuel, through rubble-filled streets and around collapsed buildings. Who will also need to take food and water with them or have none when they arrive wherever they’re going. While bombs are falling from overhead.
Some, many, will make an attempt - see pictures below.
Also, keep in mind that with no power Gaza is dark at night in a way we’re no longer accustomed to (not) see. People are only going to make progress in moving in daylight, and there’s only about 12 hours of that a day right now.
No, not possible.
Also, people already in the south of Gaza are reporting they’re getting bombed, too, so… yeah, big improvement there.
That’s leaving aside the sealed borders and Hamas telling people to stay put.
“Ugly” doesn’t cover what’s about to happen.
Yep, half of Gaza is under 18.
The news last night was showing truck loads of kids being moved south but I only see a few adults other than drivers. I wonder if some Gazans are opting to move their kids in hopes they’ll survive?
Clearly people are using every form of transport they can find. This is 21st Century war: people riding a donkey cart with one of them talking on a cell phone:
Including on foot
There have not, however, been any elections in the ensuing years. Hamas has a history of either expelling or outright killing any whiff of opposition. And for damn sure Hamas never tolerated civilians being armed.
Yes, Hamas was a elected but they are not a democracy. If Gazans had wanted a change they were never allowed it.
3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Discussion thread for the Hamas Attacks Israel thread, October 2023
There had been some discussion (well… a lot of people very certain about it on Twitter, but also the BBC) that Israel, having instructed civilians to evacuate along specific corridors, then attacked those corridors; the IDF told the BBC they would investigate.
IDF spokesman today repeats that they have no reports of any strikes and suggests footage indicates an IED, also claiming Hamas has set up roadblocks (including aerial photos of said roadblocks) to stop Gazans from being able to leave. So at least according to the IDF they are taking concrete steps to prevent people.