Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would “crush and destroy” Hamas in response to its attack. Netanyahu said every Hamas member was a “dead man.”

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would “crush and destroy” Hamas in response to its attack.

Netanyahu said every Hamas member was a “dead man.”

Netanyahu made the remarks in a late-night televised address as Israeli planes pounded Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack.

  • donuts@kbin.social
    181·
    1 year ago

    Revenge rhetoric. It seems to me that there is zero practical way of crushing Hamas. It’s not like they wear Hamas uniforms or carry Hamas membership cards. In fact, there’s no guarantee that key Hamas leaders are even still in Gaza right now, as they could have easily fled the area. To make matters worse, the members of Hamas who are still in Gaza are likely to be in plain clothes and fighting with guerilla tactics in a familiar and dense urban environment, it’ll be a bloody fight and many Palestinians will wind up getting caught in the crossfire. It’s also very likely that we start seeing broadcast Hamas executions of Israeli hostages, which will only increase hostility.

    The situation in Israel and Palestine is already awful, but I imagine it’s going to rapidly become much worse over coming days. I feel so sorry for the innocent people on both sides of this conflict whose lives are being ruined for literally nothing.