Everybody keeps demanding that the Israeli government follow international law.
They declared war on Hamas, the political entity of Gaza. What are the rules of war that apply here? The government army hides behind it’s civilians and under Hospitals and Religious sites, what is the rule of War with this? The government army hides in tunnels, what is the rule of war here?
How do all of these people demand that Israeli government follow the rules of war, but do not demand that Hamas (the elected government of Gaza) follow those laws?
The ‘rules of war’ should not apply to a people that elect a government that does what Hamas did. In my opinion, when you elect a government that does those things, you have no rights when the war comes and no law that protects you.
I'm in 100% agreement. I'll add to it other reasons that Israel should take off the Geneva Conventions gloves:
1) Gazans/Hamas attacked mainly Israeli civilians (few attacks on Israeli military). That makes Gazan civilians fair game.
2) The attackers didn't wear military uniforms or use military infrastructure. They wore civilian clothes and used civilian equipment. They basically defined to Israel that Israel's attackers look like civilians and use civilian things as weapons. Thus Israel has to defend itself by neutralizing those (Gazans wearing civilian clothes and using civilian objects).
It's not like Israel was attacked by a defined military that Israel can thus retaliate against. The Gazans are the ones who defined this as a war against civilizations.
"The presence of a protected person (aka civilian noncombatant) may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations."