Hamas proposed a full prisoner swap as early as Oct 8th, and agreed to the US proposed UN Permanent Ceasefire Resolution. Additionally, Hamas has already agreed to no longer govern the Gaza Strip, as long as Palestinians receive liberation and a unified government can take place.
This isnt about the hostages, this is Israel engaging in Genocide to eradicate and forcibly displace the Palestinian people. Gaza has never stopped being under Israeli occupation since 1967. Hamas only exists because of the Apartheid Occupation of Israel and the daily violence that has subjected Palestinians to for generations. Israel has always been the obstacle for peace, and has been the one preventing a ceasefire.
De-development via the Gaza Occupation
Between July 1971 and February 1972, Sharon enjoyed considerable success. During this time, the entire Strip (apart from the Rafah area) was sealed off by a ring of security fences 53 miles in length, with few entrypoints. Today, their effects live on: there are only three points of entry to Gaza—Erez, Nahal Oz, and Rafah.
Perhaps the most dramatic and painful aspect of Sharon’s campaign was the widening of roads in the refugee camps to facilitate military access. Israel built nearly 200 miles of security roads and destroyed thousands of refugee dwellings as part of the widening process.’ In August 1971, for example, the Israeli army destroyed 7,729 rooms (approximately 2,000 houses) in three vola- tile camps, displacing 15,855 refugees: 7,217 from Jabalya, 4,836 from Shati, and 3,802 from Rafah.
Page 105
Through 1993 Israel imposed a one-way system of tariffs and duties on the importation of goods through its borders; leaving Israel for Gaza, however, no tariffs or other regulations applied. Thus, for Israeli exports to Gaza, the Strip was treated as part of Israel; but for Gazan exports to Israel, the Strip was treated as a foreign entity subject to various “non-tariff barriers.” This placed Israel at a distinct advantage for trading and limited Gaza’s access to Israeli and foreign markets. Gazans had no recourse against such policies, being totally unable to protect themselves with tariffs or exchange rate controls. Thus, they had to pay more for highly protected Israeli products than they would if they had some control over their own economy. Such policies deprived the occupied territories of significant customs revenue, estimated at $118-$176 million in 1986.
page 240
In a report released in May 2015, the World Bank revealed that as a result of Israel’s blockade and OPE, Gaza’s manufacturing sector shrank by as much as 60% over eight years while real per capita income is 31 percent lower than it was 20 years ago. The report also stated that the blockade alone is responsible for a 50% decrease in Gaza’s GDP since 2007. Furthermore, OPE (combined with the tunnel closure) exacerbated an already grave situation by reducing Gaza’s economy by an additional $460 million.
Page 402
The Gaza Strip: The Political Economy of De-Development - Third Edition by Sara M. Roy
Blockade, including Aid
Hamas began twenty years into the occupation during the first Intifada, with the goal of ending the occupation. Collective punishment has been a deliberate Israeli tactic for decades with the Dahiya doctrine. Violence such as suicide bombings and rockets escalated in response to Israeli enforcement of the occupation and apartheid.
After the ‘disengagement’ in 2007, this turned into a full blockade; where Israel has had control over the airspace, borders, and sea. Under the guise of ‘dual-use’ Israel has restricted food, allocating a minimum supply leading to over half of Gaza being food insecure; construction materials, medical supplies, and other basic necessities have also been restricted.
The blockade and Israel’s repeated military offensives have had a heavy toll on Gaza’s essential infrastructure and further debilitated its health system and economy, leaving the area in a state of perpetual humanitarian crisis. Indeed, Israel’s collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population, the majority of whom are children, has created conditions inimical to human life due to shortages of housing, potable water and electricity, and lack of access to essential medicines and medical care, food, educational equipment and building materials.
Both Hamas and Fatah have agreed to a Two-State solution based on the 1967 borders for decades. Oslo and Camp David were used by Israel to continue settlements in the West Bank and maintain an Apartheid, while preventing any actual Two-State solution
Intentionally utilizing the presence of civilians or other protected persons to render certain areas immune from military attack is prohibited under international law. Amnesty International was not able to establish whether or not the fighters’ presence in the camps was intended to shield themselves from military attacks. However, under international humanitarian law, even if one party uses “human shields”, or is otherwise unlawfully endangering civilians, this does not absolve the opposing party from complying with its obligations to distinguish between military objectives and civilians or civilian objects, to refrain from carrying out indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, and to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects.
Israel also targets Israeli Soldiers and Civilians to prevent them being leveraged as hostages, known as the Hannibal Directive. Which was also used on Oct 7th.
And for fucks sake stop accusing the IDF of using human shields. That happened like literally five times.
It seems pretty reasonable to accuse them of something they have done repeatedly.
And this isn’t “minding their own business near something we want to bomb,” like the claims against Hamas, these are cases of people literally and directly used as shields.
Sure, it can be reasonable. Using it as “whataboutism” though isn’t a legitimate argument.
Hamas uses entire cities. Millions of people. Generations of young men and women who might otherwise prosper except they are born into a place run by Hamas.
It’s disgusting when anyone uses human shields. In Israel it’s a crime. In Gaza, it’s a the greatest hope of the leadership, that a civilian might die to an Israeli bomb.
Can you explain exactly how? How can someone sat in their home above a tunnel they did not create or possibly even know about be a human shield? That is meaningfully different to being strapped to the front of a car or forced into a booby trapped tunnel at gunpoint, no?
Voluntary vs involuntary human shields. Hamas plundered the wealth of all Gaza and used it to build 500 miles of tunnels in an area only 25 miles wide.
It is meaningfully different, yes. There’s been a handful of strapping people to a car. It’s a crime in Israel. People have been imprisoned for it.
~5 people < ~2,000,000 people.
5 people is basically an isolated incident.
2,000,000 people decade over decade is a modus operandi.
How exactly are Gazans human shields? In what meaningful sense? Being in your home near something Israel deems a target doesn’t make you a shield, does it?
Voluntary vs involuntary human shields.
Who is voluntary?
It is meaningfully different, yes.
Glad we agree. And much worse, imo.
~5 people < ~2,000,000 people.
The rest of this all depends on how exactly you’re alleging that 2 million people are human shields and not just humans
I’m not trying to spread propoganda so I don’t have a database of links ready to copy and paste. I’m also not staying any facts that cannot be easily verified.
Anyone can throw a few links together from literal propaganda outlets of foreign state media and from people who begin every single “article” with “Click Here to Donate!”
Praying this doesn’t fall on the blind. You, know, because you can see with your own eyes what’s happening in Gaza.
Yes, the confirmation bias must be very soothing for your cognitive disonnance. Deep down you must know there’s not going to be a ceasefire while Hamas is still clinging to power.
Just pretend you’re sure that reactionaries down voting a fact that makes them feel angry doesn’t change the truth of the fact. I don’t even need to imagine. The downvotes track with my experience: most people are dumbasses.
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Hamas proposed a full prisoner swap as early as Oct 8th, and agreed to the US proposed UN Permanent Ceasefire Resolution. Additionally, Hamas has already agreed to no longer govern the Gaza Strip, as long as Palestinians receive liberation and a unified government can take place.
This isnt about the hostages, this is Israel engaging in Genocide to eradicate and forcibly displace the Palestinian people. Gaza has never stopped being under Israeli occupation since 1967. Hamas only exists because of the Apartheid Occupation of Israel and the daily violence that has subjected Palestinians to for generations. Israel has always been the obstacle for peace, and has been the one preventing a ceasefire.
De-development via the Gaza Occupation
Page 402
The Gaza Strip: The Political Economy of De-Development - Third Edition by Sara M. Roy
Blockade, including Aid
Hamas began twenty years into the occupation during the first Intifada, with the goal of ending the occupation. Collective punishment has been a deliberate Israeli tactic for decades with the Dahiya doctrine. Violence such as suicide bombings and rockets escalated in response to Israeli enforcement of the occupation and apartheid.
After the ‘disengagement’ in 2007, this turned into a full blockade; where Israel has had control over the airspace, borders, and sea. Under the guise of ‘dual-use’ Israel has restricted food, allocating a minimum supply leading to over half of Gaza being food insecure; construction materials, medical supplies, and other basic necessities have also been restricted.
Peace Process and Solution
Both Hamas and Fatah have agreed to a Two-State solution based on the 1967 borders for decades. Oslo and Camp David were used by Israel to continue settlements in the West Bank and maintain an Apartheid, while preventing any actual Two-State solution
How Avi Shlaim moved from two-state solution to one-state solution
‘One state is a game changer’: A conversation with Ilan Pappe
One State Solution, Foreign Affairs
Human Shields
Hamas:
HRW on Laws-of-War Violations 2009
Agency Demands Full Respect for the Sanctity of Its Premises in Gaza - July 2014
HRW - Palestinian Armed Groups’ October 7 Assault on Israel
Israel:
Israel/OPT: Israeli attacks targeting Hamas and other armed group fighters that killed scores of displaced civilians in Rafah should be investigated as war crimes
HRW - Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Hospital Strikes Worsen Health Crisis
Additionally, there is extensive independent verification of Israel using Palestinians as Human Shields:
IDF uses Human Shields,
Including Children (2013 Report)
Israel “Systematically” Uses Gaza Children as Human Shields, Rights Group Finds 2024
Breaking The Silence - Testimonies from IDF Veterans
Deliberate Attacks on Civilians
Israel deliberately targets civilian areas. From in general with the Dahiya Doctrine to multiple systems deployed in Gaza to do so:
The Dahiya Doctrine & Israel’s Use of Disproportionate Force
‘A mass assassination factory’: Inside Israel’s calculated bombing of Gaza
Lavender
Where’s Daddy
Israel also targets Israeli Soldiers and Civilians to prevent them being leveraged as hostages, known as the Hannibal Directive. Which was also used on Oct 7th.
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It seems pretty reasonable to accuse them of something they have done repeatedly.
And this isn’t “minding their own business near something we want to bomb,” like the claims against Hamas, these are cases of people literally and directly used as shields.
Sure, it can be reasonable. Using it as “whataboutism” though isn’t a legitimate argument.
Hamas uses entire cities. Millions of people. Generations of young men and women who might otherwise prosper except they are born into a place run by Hamas.
It’s disgusting when anyone uses human shields. In Israel it’s a crime. In Gaza, it’s a the greatest hope of the leadership, that a civilian might die to an Israeli bomb.
Can you explain exactly how? How can someone sat in their home above a tunnel they did not create or possibly even know about be a human shield? That is meaningfully different to being strapped to the front of a car or forced into a booby trapped tunnel at gunpoint, no?
Voluntary vs involuntary human shields. Hamas plundered the wealth of all Gaza and used it to build 500 miles of tunnels in an area only 25 miles wide.
It is meaningfully different, yes. There’s been a handful of strapping people to a car. It’s a crime in Israel. People have been imprisoned for it.
~5 people < ~2,000,000 people.
5 people is basically an isolated incident.
2,000,000 people decade over decade is a modus operandi.
How exactly are Gazans human shields? In what meaningful sense? Being in your home near something Israel deems a target doesn’t make you a shield, does it?
Who is voluntary?
Glad we agree. And much worse, imo.
The rest of this all depends on how exactly you’re alleging that 2 million people are human shields and not just humans
And yet not a single citation here. 🤔
I’m not trying to spread propoganda so I don’t have a database of links ready to copy and paste. I’m also not staying any facts that cannot be easily verified.
“trust me bro these facts are soooo easily verified. i won’t do it but it’s so easy bro i swear.”
Come on now. Is this easily verified? Is it even true?
thanks for your effort in putting this together. praying it falls on more attentive ears than deaf.
Anyone can throw a few links together from literal propaganda outlets of foreign state media and from people who begin every single “article” with “Click Here to Donate!”
Praying this doesn’t fall on the blind. You, know, because you can see with your own eyes what’s happening in Gaza.
“oh nooooo the non-profit site asks for donations” 😂 i guess every wikipedia article is also propaganda
most satisfying ratio i’ve seen all day
Yes, the confirmation bias must be very soothing for your cognitive disonnance. Deep down you must know there’s not going to be a ceasefire while Hamas is still clinging to power.
imagine chosing to ratio yourself twice in one comments section
Just pretend you’re sure that reactionaries down voting a fact that makes them feel angry doesn’t change the truth of the fact. I don’t even need to imagine. The downvotes track with my experience: most people are dumbasses.
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