Posted on 06/20/2024 8:20:37 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie
It began without warning. “Planes were bombing. Tanks were firing. Quadcopter drones were shooting. People were running and screaming. It felt like Judgment Day, as if we were living our last moments.”
This was the scene at around 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 8 in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. Aerial bombardment, as described by a journalist in the camp who preferred to remain anonymous, was accompanied by the entry of dozens of Israeli military and police special forces personnel who emerged from aid trucks. “We couldn’t understand what was happening,” the journalist added.
As later became clear, a major Israeli military operation was underway to retrieve four hostages whom Hamas had kidnapped from the Nova music festival almost exactly eight months prior. In doing so, Israeli forces unleashed devastation on Nuseirat camp, killing at least 276 Palestinians and wounding approximately 700 more.
“The intensity of the bombing felt like an earthquake,” Enas Al-Louh, a 45-year-old from Gaza City who had sought refuge in the camp, recounted. “I thought my life would end right there. I was screaming at my children not to leave my side so that we could die together. For more than an hour, we lived through the horror of nonstop bombing and shelling.”
For Amjad Al-Majdalawi, a 40-year-old who had been staying in Nuseirat camp with his family since the start of the war, the sound of explosions and people screaming in the market jolted him into a state of panic. “My mind stopped, and I ran to check on my family,” he told +972. “While running, I saw the martyrs and the wounded lying on the ground, and the survivors begging for help.
“I arrived home to find my children and my family screaming in fear,” he continued. “We tried to find some relief from the shock of the event, but it continued to become more and more violent. The occupation deceived the camp through the state of calm in which we lived for several days [prior to the operation], without hearing the sound of reconnaissance planes. Then came the attack, with such brutality. Everyone in the camp lost someone from their family.”
‘We are cheap blood in this hypocritical world’
As hundreds of wounded Palestinians began arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in nearby Deir al-Balah, the Israeli army called the hospital staff and ordered them to evacuate, threatening to bomb the hospital. Staff passed on the warning to those it could, but most were too desperate to pay heed. The attack didn’t materialize, and it appears that the threat was intended to sow further chaos and confusion as Israel’s operation unfolded.
“All the photographers and journalists chose to stay,” the journalist recounted. “By covering the events inside the hospital — which continued to receive countless numbers of injured patients — we fulfilled our work. We didn’t care about the evacuation order, because what we experienced was more terrible than any other thought or feeling. The crying of mothers and children was so intense.”
Khalil Al-Dakran, the hospital’s spokesperson, told +972 that most of the wounded who arrived that day were women and children. But due to the Israeli army’s continuous attacks on central Gaza in the previous weeks, he explained, the hospital was unable to receive such large numbers.
“We treated the injured on the floor of the corridors and outside in the tents, because there were no empty beds to receive the wounded,” Al-Dakran continued. “They arrived in ambulances, civilian cars, and animal-drawn vehicles.” The situation was so dire that the hospital was forced to send patients to Al-Awda Maternity Hospital, which was closer to the massacre in Nuseirat, despite it being ill-equipped to accommodate patients with severe injuries.
Al-Aqsa’s dwindling resources further limited the hospital’s ability to admit the influx of patients. “Some medical delegations come to Gaza with supplies that can help our patients, but the Israeli army confiscates these and prevents them from entering Gaza,” Al-Dakran explained. “It inhibits the entry of fuel and medical equipment into hospitals and keeps the wounded from seeking life-saving treatment abroad.”
The Nuseirat operation marked only the third time since October 7 that Israeli forces have freed hostages alive. The second, on Feb. 12, also came at a high cost to Palestinian lives, killing at least 74 in Rafah’s Shaboura refugee camp in order to create a “diversion.”
Al-Louh is still struggling to make sense of what he witnessed. “How is it reasonable to kill over 200 people for the sake of four? We are cheap blood in this hypocritical world that does not know the meaning of humanity, does not speak about the hundreds of martyrs and wounded, and does not express its anger at this massacre.”
Did you see Forward’s tagline? Forward is claiming that Israel is being “excessive” in their war against terrorism. Then he goes on to say war as hell.
Oh, the irony.
‘How is it reasonable to kill over 200 for the sake of four?’
It is totally reasoanble because the guilty who took the four hostages intentionally placed 200 civilians in the way of those who would try to free the hostages. The blame for the 200 deaths is on the hands of the hostage takers. They did not care about the 200 human shields they used to hide the hostages.
So I guess you would have been opposed to the continued strategic bombing of Germany and Japan during WW2 as well, particularly after the beginning of 1944. I mean, after all, it was "innocent" civilians for the most part being killed and maimed, wasn't it? And it wasn't as if the German or Japanese Army, Air Force, or Navy were actually threatening the existence of the United States anymore, were they? You obviously would have been against the use of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima as continued pummeling of an opponent truly already defeated but too stubborn or uncaring of its civilian population to surrender.
Now, you might argue that the threat of Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan still existed because that threat was a world-wide one. Well, I would argue that, to Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah (with Iran lurking in the background) are far more existential threats to its population than Germany or Japan, battered and almost impotent as they were at the start of 1944, was to the United States. And yet the United States armed forces continued to bomb the population centers of Germany and Japan unmercifully until they did actually surrender.
FAFO.
So I guess you would have been opposed to the continued strategic bombing of Germany and Japan during WW2 as well, particularly after the beginning of 1944. I mean, after all, it was “innocent” civilians for the most part being killed and maimed, wasn’t it?
YES—Targeting innocents—as we did—was and should be, a war crime. The A-bomb was needed to end the war BUT The Japanese should have been shown the horror—Bomb a Naval or air base to show its power (killing soldiers and seamen) Then—a city filled with innocents if they did not surrender. The whole unconditional surrender idea was uncool. We may well regret that when we are forced to surrender unconditionally in a war and face crippling retribution and occupation by a large military force.
“There must be another way.”
Name it.
Or pound sand.
A Fair question. Solution must address the question that Israelis have kicked down the road for years—the right of return. Several answers exist—none of them good.
1. All the Jews return to the United States or Europe and leave the Middle East. Just go home—end dual citizenship.
Once After the Crusades there were Christian kingdoms there until they were forced out by Islamic People. The level of hate is so great that this would cause a bloodbath.
2. Cut Israel in two—force all Jews into one half, all non-Jews into the other. this brought peace to the island of Cyprus between Greeks and Turks. Built a wall and let no one pass though for a few generations. Sorry jews you will have to clean your own toilets. Palistinians you should be cut off from UN aid to move on of make something out of your land until it is seized by another bigger fish—like Turkey or Iran. UN has been a source of many problems here. If they send rockets over the border—its a clear war between two nations. This has a name: The Two State solution backed by the US and Russia.Another bad choice but one that MIGHT work.
1. Israel IS the home of the Jews. They were mostly exiled by invaders like the muslims. There have been Jews in Israel for about 4,000 years. With 23 Arab states so far, why is it only the Jews who must be shunted from place to place, like the exile of all Jews from muslim countries upon the foundation of Israel?
2.
Israel was cut in two: A Jewish state (Israel) and an Arab state (Jordan). Why is it that every solution to the Middle East requires Jews to sacrifice more? When will it ever be enough? When all land is islamicised “from the river to the sea”? When ham ass has killed every Jew in Israel and starts in on European and American Jews as promised?
NO!
Jews must stand and fight somewhere before total annihilation again. ISRAEL IS WHERE WE STAND!
2. (Cont.)
The arab state of Lebanon in the organization of hezbollah DOES EACH DAY send rockets over the border. What did Israel do to deserve that? It EXISTS.
The virtually fully autonomous gaza spent every last dime of your money creating an armed camp that sent rockets over the border EACH DAY. Must Israel allow this? NO, by your own statement, Israel needn’t accept daily barrages of rockets.
The “two state” solution has been tried over and over again. palestinians have been offered their own state about 8 times, depending on how you count, and have rejected the two state solution in favor of KILLING JEWS each and every time.
They don’t want your state. They want to kill Jews. I say hell no! You invade our country which was at peace, and we’re going to take out the trash.
**** ham ass!
“It began without warning. “Planes were bombing. Tanks were firing.......”
No. It began with feral “humans” breaking into Israel and killing, raping, torturing, and taking “hostages”.
Those people are not prisoners of war, they are innocents kidnapped from their country and taken to another. That is not something countries or governments do. HAMAS sent those heathens. The people of Gaza seem to be OK with HAMAS. When you start a war, ESPECIALLY in such an atrocious, egregious manner, IDK how you can complain about the consequences.
I feel bad for the Gazan non-adults.
It was, and God judged them. How did you like his wrath? Want more just keep doing what you are doing.
"Hiroshima was a city of considerable military importance. It contained the 2nd Army Headquarters, which commanded the defense of all of southern Japan. The city was a communications center, a storage point, and an assembly area for troops. To quote a Japanese report, "Probably more than a thousand times since the beginning of the war did the Hiroshima citizens see off with cries of 'Banzai' the troops leaving from the harbor.""
Additionally, Nagasaki was also an important war-time port, as well as a center for the production of war supplies.
"Nagasaki lies at the head of a long bay which forms the best natural harbor on the southern Japanese home island of Kyushu. The city of Nagasaki had been one of the largest sea ports in southern Japan and was of great war-time importance because of its many and varied industries, including the production of ordnance, ships, military equipment, and other war materials. The narrow long strip attacked was of particular importance because of its industries."
Both quotes from https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/mp06.asp
Or are you saying that, because civilians live in all cities, even the ones which contain military targets, no cities should be bombed?
And the fact that it took TWO bombs (and the threat of a third, along with an attempted coup to keep the Emperor from surrendering) to “show them the horror”, by your definition, would have still required the second bombing.
Exactly the point where I stopped reading.
Poor Palis, always the victims. /s
BS. I saw the helmet cam footage. No way 200 people were killed during that rescue.
If it were up to me. There would have been thousands killed.
We may be approaching the time when most Americans have that attitude towards Palestinians or even towards all Muslims, if we are not already there.
You mess with the bull, you get the horns.
Screw with Israel, prepare to pay the Stupid Tax.
A small percentage of Gaza are Hamas and fighters. The vast percentage of Gaza support Hamas and thus are part of the war machine. They have been raised from birth on hatred of Israel and Jews. A military can not function without the support of the civilian population that grows the food, makes the arms and provides young indoctrinated men and women to take up arms. It is sad this is such but this makes them legitimate targets.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki had some but not much military significance. It was mostly civilian. In effect it was a terror raid. We demonstrated to the Japanese that we were willing and capable of destroying their total society and millions if they did not surrender. It worked and oddly saved Japanese society and millions on our side if we had invaded Japan with conventional weapons and troops. They were prepared to fight to the end but the atomic bomb changed their minds.
If you are not willing to kill your enemy and all that stand with him, “surrender for he has already defeated you.” “Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.”
Although I do object to your calling the atomic bombing a "terror raid". It implies the US forces were terrorists.
Okay let us not call it a terror raid, but terror works. We burnt Tokyo with fire bombing. The Brits did the same to Dresden. Terror works but I prefer to call it a tactic of war. It is obscene but it works. Its real name is TOTAL WAR! Total war defeats the enemy. If one uses less than total war the enemy is then dictating the rules of engagement and you will lose. I abhor war. If the enemy knows you are willing to wage total war it is very doubtful he will war against you unless he perceives you as weak as did the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.
Oddly Admiral Yamamoto who was educated in the United States was against attacking the USA. He knew we were weak but also knew our industrial capacity to turn out the weapons of war. He said, "You will awaken a sleeping giant." He was correct.
Oddly he planned the attack knowing it would be their end. He was a loyal soldier and oddly honorable, almost a martyr.
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