Gaza death toll rises as Israel hits a disability shelter

[The Comrade]

[The Dharma Bum]

well, talking about how much it sucks to live there doesn't seem to be helping much either

i'd walk if I had to

[John Galt]

[Philly]

While the rockets are absurdly stupid, it's ridiculous that people are on here saying they don't have much sympathy considering the high rate of civilian casualty among the Palestinian victims. Hamas does not care about the innocent Palestinian civilians being killed, and that is all the more reason to feel sympathy. They are betrayed by their own "leaders" and then killed by the Israeli military. There are few people on earth who have been dealt a shittier hand simply because of where they were born than the Palestinians in Gaza. You can even sympathize with Israel's counter strikes and not conflict with what I've just said. You have to be some kind of deranged sociopath to say you don't have much sympathy for children getting bombed to death because some other idiots shot inconsequential, though provocative, projectiles over a wall.

[The Comrade]

[The Comrade]

israel needs palestine to maintain their position as global victim and to keep the money train coming. if they just committed genocide they know it would mean a halt to that or outright intervention.

and the settlements and bases and "security zones" are clearly a sign they don't give a shit about the two state solution.

[Spider]

[Lobster]

[Professor]

I sympathize with the Palestinians. For the most part, these civilians probably aren't given much choice over whether they want a rocket launcher near (or perhaps even inside) their house. And, even if they are given the choice, many of them probably choose to have it to "take a stand" (think, Underground Railroad, French Resistance, etc.). If I were facing the same things as them, I might choose the same (after I sent my kids and wife away).

On the other hand, I also sympathize with the Israelis. If someone was forcing me to identify the nearest bomb shelter every time I went to a restaurant (I look for the bar, now!), or wakes me in the middle of the night with 30 seconds to get to my basement, while rockets are flying overhead, then I'd want to retaliate, too.

But, ultimately, you know what I see? I see a bully and a picked-on kid getting into a fight in a schoolyard. Sure, I might could step in and stop this fight. But, the underlying things that precipitated the fight will continue. So, what do I choose? I keep walking to get some coffee.

[Saracen]