To think its not okay to great gazans as israel has been

[LethargicButAwesome]

Gaza has no food, no electricity and no water. On top of that they are being bombarded constantly
Israel has bombed the only escape route for refugees via Egypt, there is no way out
israel continues the blockage by air, land and sea - no aid can get in, no one can get out.
israel has said they will obliterate Gaza.

this is unprecedented, no matter what happens with governments or wars, you have refugee camps…safe havens…(often difficult) access to water - how are we even debating that this is acceptable? Am i the only person thinking this is the human race at its absolute worst? Its heartbreaking to watch, literally noone is doing anything - we are observing a genocide.

It's breaking my heart too, OP. We can only raise voices for peace and calls for a humanitarian corridor with petitions, contacting MPs etc. I think it's more ethnic cleansing really. Gazans are either forced into Egypt or killed in Gaza, and the area is going to be made uninhabitable. Palestinians have no right of return, so those who leave will not be allowed back. It's one way to expel a large amount of people. C4 suggested Israel may be using white phosphorous now, it is certainly becoming utterly horrifying.

You are not being unreasonable. Nothing that has happened in the last week has been reasonable and the events over the last week have been terrifying and beyond comprehension.

I cannot understand why the international community (e.g the United States, the uk etc) are not pushing for de-escalation and peace, though. Surely that is what needs to happen, no matter how complex and difficult the situation is.

Thanks @ketchup07070 good idea to petition to MP.

@Allthatwegotisthispalebluedot absolutely this. If anything the statements from Biden and Sunak are encouraging of the violence, no attempt at deescaltion at all. I saw a quote from the ex Philippine leader saying if it was him he would make Gaza a cementry. This feels like the sentiment from all leaders.

i just can’t believe there is a ‘debate’ about it whether its acceptable or not.

I think Egypt should open its border with Gaza to allow food, fuel and medical aid in, and people out. I don't understand how Israel could have bombed the only escape route from Gaza when it's a border, Egypt can open more crossings, even tunnels if necessary.

@Allthatwegotisthispalebluedot I think Biden has reigned in the full siege somewhat, as he said he'd discussed with Netanyahu how we discriminate between civilians and Hamas, and that there would not be quite a full siege. I'm taking that as the US urging Israel not to cut water completely. As was pointed out by a different poster, if they did all 2 million would be dead in 2-3 days. I think, given the horrifying nature of the Hamas attacks, Israel is being allowed to have their head, but at some point other nations will make louder noises.

That feels like such a low bar though, doesn’t it?

I watched footage of families in Gaza this evening and cried. Similarly, the videos from
the weekend of young people enjoying the music festival and being massacred and kidnapped broke my heart, alongside the stories of other atrocities - such as whole families being slaughtered. There does not seem to be an end in sight. It feels so hopeless.

What would have been an acceptable response to the slaughter of over 1000 innocent civilians and kidnapping of over 100? Sit back and await round 2?

I wouldn't pretend to have the answer, but committing war crimes isn't ever the right response. I find it absolutely mind blowing that world leaders are accepting the collective punishment of the Gazans like this. It feels so wrong. (It is possible to say this while still denouncing Hamas' actions in the strongest possible way, just in case anyone mistakenly thinks I'm defending those monsters)

@OhHelloTheres I think securing the country and its borders first. Then negotiations for hostages contingent on ceasefire i.e. an exchange. Involving the UN and moving forward in peace negotiations contingent on prosecuting individuals for war crimes on both sides. Moving towards 67 borders solution, or other land for peace type deals. Difficult, you might think impossible, but I think the preservation of life is better than perpetual violence.

I’m Jewish and my heart breaks for the innocent people on both sides of this nightmare. I don’t know how the Israelis can quash Hamas without civilians being killed, which is terrible. A huge effort surely has to be made to get as many people out and for a route to be secured for them to leave by. Innocent people cannot be left without water, food, power etc. it’s horrific

Maybe the Hamas government should have used all its aid (the most in the world) to invest in infrastructure instead of weapons.

Yep, @Labtastic has it.

Egypt needs to open the border and allow Palestinians to leave. Set up camps and house fleeing refugees.
Hamas knew without doubt what Israel’s response would be. Hamas have inflicted this on the Palestinian people.
Everyone should go and visit Auschwitz and gain some insight to Israel’s stance of ‘never again’.
Let Egypt open her border.

I’m not sure killing over a million children is an acceptable response.

@Cropcycle I'm so sorry for what has happened in Israel. I hope we can show support for our Jewish communities around the world, it's a devastating trauma. The additional suffering in Gaza just amplifies the pain of senseless violence and the unjust deaths of innocents for me.

Still not the fault of the vast majority of the Palestinian people. Of whom around half are children

@Labtastic
@ketchup07070
@Mumofteenandtween

I'm sorry but if they'd gone straight to looking for peaceful solution Hamas would've gone straight back in to kill more Israelis. Don't you see that?

Believe me when I say that I am not happy it has come to this. I am honestly distraught at how many people are going to be left homeless, hungry, thirsty and without their loved ones. Truly, I am. But peaceful negotiations was never going to be an option and Hamas knew that, which is why they took so many hostages. This is another example of Hamas using the Palestinians as human shields and pawns in their sick and twisted games. They knew exactly what they were doing, how many lives would end up being lost. They just don't give a shit.

It's really hard to fight a war against someone who hates you more than they love their own. It's always going to end in an absolute tragedy.

The situation is completely awful.

Disappointed with the leaders across Europe, UK and the US.

Ireland & Spain are the only European countries to veto the EU’s proposal to stop their aid to Palestine. Although, as mentioned in your OP, Israel have blocked all routes for aid anyway.

Michael McCaul, the chairman of the US Foreign Affairs Committee, confirmed Egypt sent a warning to Israel three days prior to Hama’s attack… yet the Israeli Prime Minister denies it.

The once oppressed have now become the oppressor.

I reject both that the only solution is to kill more innocents and that Palestinian children do not love their children more than anything in the world. Pretty much all parents feel like that, unless they are sick. Perhaps your comment refers to Hamas, but your war is not just on them, is it? I don't have the answers but dialogue is always better than war. Who knows. If massive rewards were offered for the capture of Hamas maybe residents of Gaza would give them up. But they would need to be protected and there is no trust with Israel - so neutral third parties need to be involved.

Somehow they managed to get in all those weapons?

I think it is awful that world leaders are cheering this on when one million children are at risk of dying. It is all so strange and I feel horrible for all the innocent involved on both sides.

It feels as though Israeli army are purposefully waiting for Gaza's food and fuel to be gone before they do the land attack. When people are cold, weak, dirty and starving. They go in under darkness I expect.
No escape for the innocent. Millions of people.
The whole situation is hell on earth.

I somehow think the women and children weren't responsible for this. The Palestinian civilians are victims of the Hamas thugs just as the Israeli victims are.

Israel have bombed the Rafah Egypt/Gaza boarder multiple times. However, looks like Egypt is trying.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-bomb-rafah-crossing-to-egypt-after-telling-gazans-to-flee-through-it/amp/

https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-bombed-only-crossing-allowing-people-flee-gaza-palestine-egypt-2023-10?amp

There are 2.2m citizens in Gaza, 1m of whom are children! You have the western media who constantly harps on about human rights, freedom, etc yet at the same time you have the leaders of these western countries who agree on punishing the entire population of Gaza because few odd people committed an act of terrorism. Israelis have been given the green light to basically carpet bomb and massacre civilians in the name of fighting of terrorism...

On the other hand, we have the same media and literally the same leaders who have been crying about Russians actions in Ukraine....anyone else sees the hypocrisy and double standards here?

When Russia kills, its war crime, bring Putin to justice, death to Russia etc...whereas when Israel does it, its collateral damage, reality of war, Gazans should blame Hamas etc...

US/UK has a lot to answer for..