Israel steps up Gaza offensive, kills senior Hamas figures

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By FARES AKRAM and JOSEF FEDERMAN

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel on Wednesday pressed ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing as many as 10 senior Hamas military figures and toppling a pair of high-rise towers housing Hamas facilities in a series of airstrikes. The Islamic militant group showed no signs of backing down and fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities.

In just three days, this latest round of fighting between the bitter enemies has already begun to resemble — and even exceed — a devastating 50-day war in 2014. Like that previous war, neither side appears to have an exit strategy.

But there are key differences. The fighting has triggered the worst Jewish-Arab violence inside Israel in decades. And looming in the background is an international war crimes investigation.

Israel carried out an intense barrage of airstrikes just after sunrise, striking dozens of targets in several minutes that set off bone-rattling explosions across Gaza. Airstrikes continued throughout the day, filling the sky with pillars of smoke.



An Israeli artillery unit fires toward targets in Gaza Strip, at the Israeli Gaza border, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Yonatan Sindel)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-africa-gaza-middle-east-violence-cb885f54369c7f4799aff0d8e421212c

[empedocles]

1. 'Decapitation' strategies are a difficult battlefield in themselves.

Seem to have a lot of powerful arguments every which way.

One survey with case studies:


[PDF]Decapitation Operations : Criteria for Targeting Enemy
https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=730287 . . .

[canuckledragger]

2. Killed those they claimed were Hamas leaders.

Israel and it's violent right-wing fascist government are guilty of war crimes against the Palestinians. It wasn't that long ago they used phosphorous bombs against civilians.

I don't believe as thing they say in cases like these. They have no moral leg to stand on.

[Mosby]

4. Every missle fired into Israel is a war crime.

Maybe hamas should stop their provocations.

[JudyM]

5. Point of fact: the UN investigation found that Israel was not targeting civilians.

Tough situation when Hamas intentionally uses civilians, including children, to shield themselves from well-deserved counterattacks for their own war crimes.

[VarryOn]

3. Israel has shown extreme restraint...

With 1,300 rockets fired at it into random areas since Monday, including civilian areas. It would be reasonable to make Gaza into a parking lot, yet Israel hasn't done so. And we know they could.