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.
Dead. Brutalized. Babies.
That’s what you’re defending. That’s what you refuse to denounce. Did you wake up today and decide to defend terrorism? The people who would not hesitate to kill you in service of their cause? That’s what you defend.
At no point did I ever defend that. I defend a ceasefire.
You’re defending the ongoing murder of babies. Get the fuck out of here with your high horse, you are defending the ongoing murder of babies and other civilians. You support terrorism. Right now. Babies being murdered, right now, you advocate for more.
You defend it implicitly because you refuse to denounce what happened to Israel while pretending you care about the deaths of innocents. You care about no such thing, as has been shown. I, on the other hand, have PROUDLY denounced the evil of terrorism in all its forms. So long as Hamas festers outside Israel’s borders, there can be no peace.
No you haven’t. Denounce Israel’s terrorism against the Palestinians. We can both play this weird power game you seem to want to play.
You won’t, though, because you advocate for and want more of that terrorism.
I don’t have to. Israel declared war on Hamas. Is it your belief that Palestinians are all Hamas? You’re the one insisting Israel is there for Palestinian blood, while Israel told them to evacuate areas they intended to attack. While Hamas attacked those who were evacuating and tried to deceive them into staying in their homes. A terrorist organization that uses Palestinians as human shields, which you refuse to condemn, while you cry about the actions of Israel and refuse to acknowledge or condemn the harm to their children and nation. I think you’ve been plenty exposed at this point. Once again, I am happy to denounce terrorism in all its forms, and I note that at every turn you accuse Israel of terrorism while you change the definitions and ignore the facts Israel has stated as the cause of this war. You’re finished.
Israel is not killing just Hamas. Quit hiding behind these word games you coward. Hundreds of children and counting, murdered. Were they all Hamas? Or just harbouring them and thus making them valid targets in your opinion?
Israel is a terrorist state. A murderous state. Denounce that terrorism. Denounce that murder.
But again, you won’t. Because you want it. You want to destroy an entire people.
Well you got it right at first, then you messed up. It’s true, Israel is not killing just Hamas. But what they’re NOT doing is murdering Palestinians. Murder is an act of malice intended to destroy a specific person. Israel does want to murder, but who they want to murder is Hamas. As has been stated. As you know. What Israel has not done, despite what you seem to want, is to go out and destroy any and every Palestinian they find, without discrimination. They have not done that. So, no, they are not murdering Palestinians. To answer your other questions, yes, harboring terrorists makes you complicit with terrorism. The Palestinians could have chosen to wage their own war against Hamas. They have not, or cannot. So now Israel must.
I don’t regard Israel as a terrorist state either. If the surrounding nations would leave them alone, there could be peace. That’s not what terrorists do. Meanwhile, Hamas has an active charter to destroy Israel and all Jews. They invaded Israel, raped its parents, brutalized its children. And uploaded it to the victims Facebook. That’s real terrorism. Which you have yet to denounce.