Israeli squatters are not innocent
Miguel Rios: “Hamas has been firing rockets aimed at innocent Israeli civilians for decades, which is an act of war.”
International law distinguishes occupied peoples’ fundamental rights to freedom, independence and self-determination. The Geneva Convention states that colonized peoples possess the right to armed struggle. And people squatting on occupied land, i.e., Israeli squatter settlements, aren’t innocent civilians.
Miguel Rios: “Ever wonder why Hamas places stockpiles of weapons and builds places for terrorist operations in heavily populated civilian areas?”
No, I don’t. With a population density of 15,602 people per square mile, Gaza possesses few places to hide much of anything. And since Gaza doesn’t have a military in the meaningful sense of the word, it’s an entirely civilian population.
And Palestinian fighters aren’t terrorists. Since occupied people do indeed have the internationally recognized right to violently resist their occupiers, they are Palestinian freedom fighters.
Miguel Rios: “For decades, Hamas has been wasting money instead of building a better life and future for the Palestinian people.”
Since cement and most other construction materials are prohibited by Israel from entering Gaza, it’s difficult to imagine how Gazans could build anything, let alone a better life and future. The entire point of the blockade, indefinite detentions and the daily humiliations in general is to make life so odious for Palestinians that they will leave.
Miguel Rios: “Palestinians are free to leave Gaza; only Hamas won’t let them.” Nonsense.
Even before Oct. 7, Israel exercised direct external control over Gaza as well as indirect control over Gazans’ daily lives. Israel controls Gaza’s maritime and air space and six of Gaza’s seven land crossings. Israel maintains the “right” to enter Gaza militarily and maintains a no-go buffer zone within Gaza’s territory. In 2022, forty-nine chronically ill Gazans died due to not being allowed into Israel for medical treatments.
Israel’s control of Gazan’s lives dramatically exceeds that of Palestinians “living” in the West Bank, where they’re subjected to internal checkpoints, flying checkpoints, agriculture checkpoints, “fabric of life” checkpoints, and permanent barriers. Along with being routinely sprayed with “skunk water” and having to drive on separate and decidedly inferior roadways, West Bank Palestinians’ lives are nearly as unpleasant as Gazan’s lives.
Miguel Rios: “One thing you’ll never see is peace-andfreedom-loving Palestinians protesting the evil of Hamas and their terrorist atrocities.” Yes. But that only proves that Palestinians (are) Hamas and that Hamas (is) Palestinian.
Guy Marsh Lancaster