• adONis@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    What’s up with all these “Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields” arguments?

    Are these some kind of propaganda bots, or are people actually that stupid to repeat each others bullshit?

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      If you are a Hamas and I am an IDF and there is a civilian in between you and me, then it is a shield that you are using to protect yourself in a cowardly fashion. I am allowed to kill you and if the human in between dies then that’s your fault.

      However, if you are a Hamas and I am an IDF and there is a fence in between you and me, then you are not allowed to ever cross the fence. Not even if your house is on the other side of the fence. That is doing a genocide against all Israelis. If you cross the fence and you hurt an IDF, then we are allowed to kill twenty five Palestinians. This is called the Dahiya Doctrine.

      But also, if you are a journalist and you mention the Dahiya Doctrine, you are an antisemite and should be fired. If you are a jouranlist in Gaza then you are a Hamas and I can kill you. And I can kill your family. And I can kill anyone in your immediate vicinity, because they are human shields (see above).

      These are the rules of civil engagement. If you do not respect these rules, you are an antisemite. And we can kill you for being an antisemite because that’s fascism.

      But if you’re an antisemite doing a fascism in Ukraine, that’s different. Disregard all of the above. In fact, strike it and reverse it. In fact, strike it and reverse it and you are a Russian bot. Also, please nobody ask about the banner on the Likud Party HQ.

    • Crikeste@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      Even if that’s the case, Israel’s stance is to kill the hostages if it means killing the hostage taker. They’re so bloodthirsty they kill their own people.

      • Glytch@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        They believe (incorrectly) that saying the civilians were used as human shields (they weren’t) transfers the moral responsibility for their deaths to Hamas (it doesn’t).

    • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      It’s the only way they can justify the blatant murder of civilians and destruction of their homes and public infrastructure on anyone but Israel. Otherwise the only other argument to justify it is “they deserve it”

      When it comes to human shields, the only independent verification back in 2014 (Amnesty link) is of Weapons (not rockets) hidden at a vacant school, situated btwn 2 UNRWA schools housing displaced people, by a Palestinian armed group.

      The Guardian journalists had encountered a couple individuals in 2014 too.

      HRW on Laws-of-War Violations 2009

      Amnesty on Hamas War Crimes 2023

      Yet none of those come remotely close to making hospitals and schools bombing targets. Even if all the IDF claims were true, that does not exempt those hospitals and schools as protected under international law.

      While we’re on the subject, let’s look at how the IDF uses Human Shields including Children (2013 Report)

    • Glytch@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      “Human shield” is a label that is applied to place the blame for civilian deaths on one’s enemy. It a very useful propaganda phrase for painting your enemies(or anyone really) as inhuman monsters worthy of slaughter.

      Citations needed recently did a very informative episode on the history and use of the phrase

    • dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      10 months ago

      Probably a mix of propaganda bots and real idiots. The idea is that the people using human shields are the 100% objective bad guy, and while that is bad, I contend that the Israelis that shoot the human shields are morally much worse.

      • Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca
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        10 months ago

        Israel sent a handcuffed prisoner into a hospital to tell them all to evacuate because they were going to blow the hospital up. He then left the hospital and Israeli soldiers shot him multiple times.

        That isn’t just a human shield that also is a human messenger pigeon that you’ve shot after it’s read its message aloud.

    • Dasus@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Are these some kind of propaganda bots, or are people actually that stupid to repeat each others bullshit?

      I think it’s both, usually at the same time. Brainwashed bot-people.