Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Palestinian civilians in Gaza were “responsible” for the Saturday attack by Hamas.
“It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true this rhetoric about civilians [being] not aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true,” Herzog said Friday. “They could have risen up, they could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d’état.”
“I agree there are many innocent Palestinians who don’t agree with this, but if you have a missile in your goddamn kitchen and you want to shoot it at me, am I allowed to defend myself? We have to defend ourselves, we have the full right to do so,” he added.
The Israeli president made the comments while calling for over 1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate in 24 hours. The evacuation was first announced to Gaza residents via leaflets from the Israel Defense Forces.
“Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields,” the leaflets read. “This evacuation is for your own safety. You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made.”
Hamas has told people in Gaza to ignore the evacuation order.
“Israel is removing Palestinians from their homes and lands for a second time, and we have responded to the Zionist crimes by targeting them and Ben Gurion,” Abu Obaida, spokesperson of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, said. “Displacement and exile are not for us, Israel is carrying out psychological warfare through the threats and their dark history, which shows they carry out crimes and killings as a form of collective punishment.”
The United Nations has called the evacuation “impossible,” due to the large number of people asked to leave the area, according to CNN. John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, called the evacuation a “tall order.”
“We understand what they’re trying to do: They’re trying to move civilians out of harm’s way and giving them fair warning. Now it’s a tall order. It’s a million people and very urban, dense environment. It’s already a combat zone. So I don’t think anybody’s underestimating the challenge here of effecting that evacuation,” Kirby told CNN.
The war between Hamas and Israel started on Saturday when Hamas soldiers attacked Israel from Gaza. Hamas killed over 1,000 people and took over 100 hostages in that attack, according to NPR. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by many countries including the U.S., Israel and those in the European Union. Since the beginning of the war, Israel says Hamas killed 1,300 people. The Palestinian health ministry reports 1,800 killed in Gaza.
And the Israelis could rise up against the colonial project being waged against the Palestinians, but don’t. So that brings us back to the question: Are civilians valid targets, then, in your opinion?
Because that would be, as I expressed earlier, the take of a psychopath.
They could rise up against the oppression of a group of people harboring terrorists and shooting hundreds of rockets a day at them? Gee, I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t do that.
Civilians aren’t valid targets. Hamas is. Civilians can become valid targets if they take action to harbor or defend Hamas. At that point, they stop being civilians.
Also, where are your tears for the civilians of Israel? I’m waiting.
So you are pro murdering civilians.
I do feel for civilian Israelis who have died as a result of this conflict, and their loved ones. Whereas you have fully admitted you are fine with murdering Palestinian civilians so long as you can provide the weakest possible justification to remove their humanity. You aren’t in a position to shame me. Shame on you, murderer.
Ok. You demand Israel let themselves be endlessly attacked, something you yourself would never survive or live with. You refuse to offer solutions because this is the best solution there is. Hamas must be destroyed, because evil must be destroyed if there is to be peace. Again, that peace will not come until the Palestinian people learn to reject Hamas, reject hatred, and commit to peaceful co-existence. Until that time, Israel has the right and the means to defend themselves. Everything else is excuses, excuses made on behalf of terrorists. You can’t shame me for standing against terrorism. It’s not a position I’m ashamed of.
Your state is a terrorist and you stand for that terrorism. You ought to hang your head in shame.
Israel is a colonial state and it’s only path to long term peace is the same path as every other post-colonial state: Put aside the desire to be an ethnostate. Israel must become an egalitarian society with universal suffrage and civil rights guaranteed for all. Every other path leads to either genocide, totally unacceptable, or the continuation of this conflict, forever.
Which is nothing but a demand that they allow terrorists into their borders and face endless attacks upon their children and government. So you offer no solutions, only demands that Israel suffer or be destroyed. The answer is no. I oppose terrorism, so I oppose Hamas, and I support Israel’s right to defend itself. So long as they commit to a war against Hamas, they are justified in that defense. Israel does not have to suffer the death of its people to prevent the deaths of Palestinians.
Then you support terrorism and genocide. Hopefully wiser minds than yours prevail.
You didn’t actually object to what I said. Do you admit, then, that you stand for the destruction of Israel? What a stupid position. You think they’re going to roll over and just die because that would make you feel better? They exist. Deal with it. Cry about it. They aren’t doing anything you or I wouldn’t do in their position. It’s because I have empathy that I support their pursuit of peace. There can be no peace with Hamas at their borders, so Hamas must be removed from their borders.
All of which the Palestinian people could have done, by the way. They could have spent the blood of their children to seek out the destruction of Hamas. Instead, they allow Israeli children to be murdered. There will be no peace this way, so Israel must make peace through war.
You could have advocated for an egalitarian state which protects the rights of all, but instead you advocate for war. Do you admit, then, that you stand for the destruction of the Palestinian people?