polite_gandalf wrote on Jul 24
th, 2014 at 9:34pm:
Yadda:
Quote:"The principles of distinction and precaution are clearly not being observed during such indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups," she added. Pillay said not abiding by those principles could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
gandalf,
It is clear that Hamas rocket attacks upon Israel, are 'indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas'.
You may argue that is not so.
But what about Israeli attacks upon Hamas targets in Gaza ?Would such attacks - by the Israelis - be justified - if the Israelis were targeting militants hiding within the Gaza - civilian - communities ?
"....indiscriminate attacks on civilians"
gandalf,
QUESTION;If a group of persons who were 'recognised' [or at least regarded,] as
being civilians were launching rockets against Israeli cities and towns,
would the Israelis be within their rights, to 'take out' those persons who were 'regarded' as 'civilians' ?
ANOTHER SCENARIO;If a gunman was 'hiding' within community 'A' -
i.e. the gunman was hiding within his own community - [among a a population of people], and if that gunman was shooting towards another community, community 'B', and the people within community 'B' - men and women and children - were being killed,
......would persons within community 'B', be justified in responding, if the only way that they could - stop - the gunman within community 'A', was to endanger innocent persons within community 'A' ?
I know what my answer would be.Also, i may be inclined to regard the supposed 'innocent' persons within community 'A' as culpable
[for the murders of persons in community 'B'] - because i could argue that the supposedly 'innocent' persons within community 'A', were hiding the gunmen among them - OTHERWISE THE INNOCENT PERSONS [within community 'A'] WOULD PHYSICALLY SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THE GUNMEN [the killers!] WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY.