With reference to Farouk Araie’s letter “Savage display of raw power does not augur well”. War is not a new phenomenon.
In World War II an estimated total of 70-80 million people perished. The human race has survived it all. Israel is accused of using banned weaponry such as “white phosphorous”, but this has not been proved.
Its weaponry is completely legal. Israel has committed itself to the international laws of war and uses Article 52 Protocol 3 to support its actions.
Egypt administered the Gaza strip through a military governor, from 1948-1967, as a “controlled territory”.
The Egyptian state and its citizens reject the “alleged” plan to re-colonise Gaza while using Egypt as a conduit. Arab countries refuse to accept Palestinian refugees for obvious reasons.
Hamas has violated the Geneva Convention by its unprovoked and brutal attack on Israeli civilians (October 7), its continual rocket launches into Israel, its taking of hostages and using civilians as “human shields” (Common Article 3, Article 51 (Protocol 1), Article 34 etc.). Hamas is obliged to comply with the Geneva Convention.
The Brown Shirts actually functioned as a “security force” at Nazi rallies and meetings, using threats and violence to secure votes and attack Hitler’s political foes and Jews.
They were not combative units. International law does not explicitly prohibit the use of force to eliminate an organisation such as Hamas, and the rescue of hostages.
* John R Whitlock, Germiston.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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