Is it a war crime to use civilians as human shields?

[Jedi Guy]

51. It's worth considering that it's not JUST Hamas in this equation.

Yes, Hamas was, as far as we know right now, the only group that participated in the 10/7 attacks. Even so, Israel is surrounded by enemies on almost all sides, and even the "friendly" nations aren't particularly friendly. Lebanon (and Hezbollah, arguably the greatest nearby threat) to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, Saudi Arabia to the southeast, and Egypt to the south and west. And Iran, Israel's archenemy, is just over the horizon, and a major state sponsor of terrorism.

Hamas on its own does not have the power to wipe Israel off the map, but their fellow travelers in the region, working together, could be a serious threat to Israel, and that's even more true if state actors got involved. Why do you think the US has sent two carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean? They're there to deter anyone else from taking a poke at Israel's back.

Either way, even though Hamas lacks the power to destroy Israel, there's no reason Israel should simply accept that Hamas is periodically going to kill a thousand or so Israelis.