When does terrorism become war?

[mids2019]

Looking at the news this morning I think the media are finding it difficult to register Palestinian attacks as a terrorism event or simply an attack of one state against another.

I suppose whether you view 5000 tickets as a terrorist atrocity or a declaration of war is dependent on your views on whether Palestine can ever be a functioning state. We plainly in Europe would describe such events as terrorism in that civilian populations have been targeted but in the eternally challenged middle East the use of such a word has political connurtations.

Is this a terrorist attack on Israel?

Holocaust minimisation is unacceptable, this is not comparable to the genocide of 6 million Jewish people in an attempt to annihilate an entire ethnic group. I have reported your posts.

@Sheila2298

"So you're supporting a war crime?"

++++

Refusing to supply a country that has just attacked you with food, water and electricity is not a war crime. And is not a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute.

Indeed it is a rather measured approach- or do you think the Israelis should throw in a few free Amazon gift cards as well?

Seriously Britain blockaded supplies of food to Germany in WW1 and WW2 - was this a war crime or should Britain have been supplying the Germans with food deliveries?

Get real - this is a war and you don't supply your enemies with food, water and electricity.

@Sheila2298

Why don't you just cut to the chase and save yourself time by just admitting anti semitism.

Attacking electricity power installations is not NECESSARILY considered to be a war crime. This Reuters article is a good introduction to this issue.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/when-are-attacks-civilian-infrastructure-war-crimes-2022-12-16/

Consider this from the USA Law Of Armed Conflict (LOAC) Manual:

"Electric power stations are generally recognized to be of sufficient importance to a State’s capacity to meet its wartime needs of communication, transport, and industry so as usually to qualify as military objectives during armed conflicts.”

“Military objectives, insofar as objects are concerned, include ‘any object which by its nature, location, purpose or use makes an effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial destruction, capture or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers a definite military advantage.'”

In 2020, the RAND Corporation asserted:

“The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) increasingly relies on electric power to accomplish critical missions. As a result, ensuring that forces and facilities have access to a reliable supply of electric power is critical for mission assurance. However, DoD does not directly manage its supply of power; most of the electricity consumed by military installations in the continental United States comes from the commercial grid—a system that is largely outside of DoD control and increasingly vulnerable to both natural hazards and deliberate attacks.”

So, if one of the biggest and most technologically advanced militaries in the world requires access to civilian electricity installations.....so do many other militaries.

Including terrorist groups such as Hamas who control territory with a defined border.

Attacks on electricity installations have to have a clear military advantage.

@Sheila2298

"A war crime promoter in our midst."

+++

A terrorist sympathiser in our midst.

Besides refusing to supply a country you are at war with food, water and electricity is not a war crime FFS.

Israel has not attacked Gaza's domestic power station

Well, you've had a post deleted on the previous page so it's probably that one.....

I'm not saying they have. 👍

Simply clarifying the fact destroying electricity installations is not necessarily a war crime which is something that's been posted as absolute fact the last couple of pages.

You'd think Jewish people would be aghast at dehumanisation, but I guess WWII was a long time ago now

You've got some nerve calling people "despicable" when you're quite happy to spew naked anti-semitisim on a public forum. And just FYI, Jewish people are aghast at the dehumanisation from both sides.

And closer to home British Jews are fucking terrified about what's yet to come. Parents too scared to send their kids to school in London today, because yet again they'll be held to account for the actions of the Israeli government, and your post is demonstrable that their fear is justified @Sheila2298

Absolutely - it was a great post, just wanted to clarify for people who seem to be desperate to believe the worst of Israel

Ah, that's no problem! 👌

Probably your post that got deleted.......

@everleese I never said British Jews have more to fear, but you're perfectly welcome to check my previous posts where I have advocated for both sides. I'm a humanitarian, and neither pro nor anti Israel. I'm getting "my knickers in a twist" (as you call it) because I've had to deal with racism all my life, having a French Jewish mother and British Jewish father and I'll call out antisemitism when I see it. Sorry if that upsets you. Call it a "strange turn" all you like, but that poster's words were antisemitic and I'm perfectly justified in calling it out. There's a reason her post was deleted.

@everleese If you think responding to antisemitism is "getting your knickers in a twist" then you're blatantly displaying it, so I'm not going to engage with you.

@everleese Your post is vile. "you people".

There has been engagement all day between them and the IDF on the border. There is also another group mobilising to open another front. Twitter/X spaces the place to be for real time news.

I thought the point about cutting off electricity and food and water was that one poster thought it was a good plan, not that Israel planned to do it?

It might work to get the population to oust Hamas, though could easily have the opposite effect. Desperation breeds radicalization.

But starving a civilian population is absolutely a war crime.

Indeed. Have reported.

I thought the point about cutting off electricity and food and water was that one poster thought it was a good plan, not that Israel planned to do it?

@Rudderneck No, it was brought up because it's what Israel have said.
The defence minister:
"I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed."