re: Israel appropriates more West Bank land for probable settlements

quote:

---

So what? Set aside for the moment that fire from civilian buildings is feature of every modern urban guerrilla war. This still leaves open the question of whether shelling the human shields is appropriate. Britain did not shell entire apartment blocks in Belfast in response to IRA bombs and rockets. When Yuogslavia shelled civilians in Drenica while hunting down KLA irregulars, we condemned them for war crimes. The story of the Immortal Six Hundred would've been very short and boring if Maj. Gen. Foster had simply shrugged and shelled them. Moreover, Hamas fires their rockets from extremely light, mobile frameworks that can be assembled and taken down by a team of two in a matter of minutes. Even if you accept that this is using human shields, and if you accept that shelling an apartment block is a morally permissible response, it's not going to be a very effective one. By the time the origin has been confirmed, the firing solution plotted, the calls to the residents made, and the love tap shot fired, the Hamas rocketeers have probably already ran out the door, or will be mixed in with the civilians. So what does it actually accomplish? They will find another building. The residents, if they are lucky, will lose everything except what they can carry. If they are unlucky, aged, disabled, sleep too soundly, welp I don't dispute Hamas bears some blame by launching the rocket. But this doesn't exculpate the IDF, which chooses to react in such a morally questionable, strategically ineffective way.

---

Pretty sound argument IMHO

The more civilized democracies(The U.S.,the U.k etc) do not take life lightly. An argument could be made about our use of Predator Drones. But for the most part, Israel's way is unacceptable. TBH, I think they like sheddingivilian blood, but they understand everyone else abhors it, so they manufacture ways and targets to justify them doing so