The Issue: Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip after Hamas’ attack on civilians in Israel.
The pure evil and savagery of this attack on Israel can leave no doubt for any rational human that given the opportunity, Hamas would perpetuate another Holocaust (“Gaza gets no mercy,” Oct. 13).
Hence the Israelis have a binary decision. The inevitable loss of civilian life, although terrible and regrettable, will be a necessary consequence of this war.
Mitchell Schwefel
Barnegat, NJ
My heart bleeds as I watch the tragic, horrific events unfold in Israel and Palestine.
I see the images of innocent women and children being brutally murdered. My teeth grit as I hear the words “Allahu Akbar,” — God is the greatest — come from the mouths of people harming civilians.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad never taught this version of Islam.
Palestinians are facing injustice living day-to-day in Gaza. But that does not give a few of them any right to orchestrate a surprise attack on innocent Israelis. Nor should Israel try to collectively punish Palestinians for the actions of a few.
Nameer Bhatti
Blue Bell, Pa.
The United States must fully support Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas.
With nearly 1,300 Israelis killed and more wounded, Israel is going to continue to retaliate militarily against Hamas.
Gaza is already being heavily bombed by Israeli warplanes, and thousands of troops will enteri into that region to continue the battle to root out those terrorists.
It is unfortunate that thousands of civilians living in Gaza are also caught in this terrible war, and there have been thousands of Palestinian civilians killed and more wounded. The loss of lives on both sides will continue to mount in the days ahead.
Israel has every right to defend itself from Hamas and other terrorist organizations. The rest of the world is watching and hoping that this conflict does not grow larger and spiral out of control.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
“No power, no water, no food, no fuel for Gazans” is not the way to defeat Hamas.
Sure, you are not killing people with guns or knives, but you’re just starving them, letting them die of thirst, killing many in hospitals for lack of power, etc.
The way to do it is to intelligently destroy identifiable military targets in Iran and keep it up until its leaders order their manic puppets to cease and desist.
This would also help the many good people in Iran in their efforts to see meaningful change in their own leadership.
William Fisher, Suffern
The Geneva Convention writers held powerful positions throughout the darkest times of our world. Their words synthesized a brutal, durable morality earned during the bloody deluges of the 20th century.
There is much misplaced anxiety for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza. The obvious reading of Articles 28 and 29 of the Fourth Geneva Convention says Hamas is responsible for any civilian deaths in the areas they occupy.
Those civilians qualify as protected persons within the terrorist’s physical control and cannot be used to render certain points and areas immune from military operations.
Nolan Nelson
Redmond, Ore.
In the face of the hateful massacre at the music festival, where hundreds of young people were slaughtered, it is important to think about how to safeguard children during times of war.
According to the Geneva Convention, children are entitled to special protection against the effects of war. These universally accepted rules make it a war crime to kill, ill-treat or in any way injure a child.
Before thousands of young people in Gaza become the next tragedy, they should be evacuated through the Egyptian gate. Other nations’ ships can transport them to a safety zone in Jordan, where the UN Relief Agency already shelters, feeds and aids hundreds of thousands of Palestinians daily.
Removed from the horrors of war, the children can study, play and connect with relatives.
Cary Goodman
Manhattan
Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to [email protected]. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
