In a 65-foot-deep tunnel in Rafah, hostages found executed by captors
In a 65-foot-deep tunnel in Rafah, hostages found executed by captors
Forces had no direct confrontation with Hamas terrorists who killed hostages; 'The IDF and security forces are doing everything possible to bring all hostages home as quickly as possible. This news shakes us all,' says army spokesperson Hagari
Forces had no direct confrontation with Hamas terrorists who killed hostages; 'The IDF and security forces are doing everything possible to bring all hostages home as quickly as possible. This news shakes us all,' says army spokesperson Hagari
Israeli forces discovered the bodies of six hostages in a 65-foot-deep tunnel in Rafah, approximately a kilometer from where hostage Farhan Alkadi was recently freed. The IDF had no precise intelligence on the hostages' location in recent months but knew there were captives in the sector, leading to a gradual and cautious operation in Rafah since the ground offensive began.
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The hostages seem like the only bargaining chip they have (not that it's much of a bargaining chip), so I'm surprised they're doing it. Maybe they've decided that it isn't worth it.
I put as much faith in this as I do the hospital tunnel story.
Anything the IDF says is to be treated as bunk without at least 2 corroborating sources. The IDF lies like they breathe, so I'm more willing to assume they killed the hostages to make Hamas look bad than anything they actually say.
It's entirely possible this is total nonsense, but I could also see them realizing that keeping them alive was an exercise in futility and, as I suggested in another comment, a waste of precious resources like food.
Oh, don't get me wrong, it could maybe possibly be true. We're just getting it from a serial liar, so the message is untrustworthy on its face.
I'll be extremely saddened if I'm wrong here, because those people didn't deserve this. But given Israel's long history of blatant lies in the name of PR against anything Palestinian, I'm not going to believe it until a credible source backs up their statement.
Israeli history isn't even a necessary consideration. The messaging of any warfighting party should always be taken with appropriate caution.
If someone is willing to wage war to achieve their goals, some propaganda efforts are certainly not out of the question. Factuality cannot really be confirmed until after the war is over, and the area becomes safe for neutral parties to visit. Active warzones are just not fountains of factual and verifiable reporting though.
It's been confirmed multiple times from multiple sources that Gaza's largest hospitals are connected to Hamas' tunnel network. The UNWRA, various doctor groups and various media outlets had reported it prior to this most recent conflict.
For someone moderately or more paying attention there should have been no reason to doubt those claims from the IDF; not just because they cane with nominally verifiable audio and video evidence. But also because Hamas has never refuted claims about its use of its tunnel network in and around hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure.
No one doubts the existence of the tunnels, because Israel made them. What is unconfirmed, and frankly bullshit, is how much those are utilized and whether the propaganda put out by Israel about the headquarters is true. (Hint: it's propaganda to make useful idiots support the terror that the Israeli state is imposing in the Palestinian people). Also, let's not forget the hilariously bad video they put out as """proof""" from months before.
So yeah, try harder to push your propaganda, because you kinda suck at it.
Also, let's not forget the hilariously bad video they put out as """proof""" from months before.
"They" in this case was a random Twitter account chasing clout.
The IDF invited NBC and other news organizations to tour the tunnels they found. Along with a bunch of other proof of their usage.
Maybe the problem is that you look at random Twitter accounts chasing clout as legitimate sources. There's a ton of these clout fiends talking shit on both sides sharing false or doctored video.
Oh yeah, the Other debunked tunnel propaganda . My bad, it's so hard to keep all of this propaganda straight.
And lol, NBC was one of the many cheerleaders for the Iraq war, maybe don't use argument to authority fallacies when you're using a source that's perpetuated state propaganda before.
Oh yeah, the Other debunked tunnel propaganda .
That article doesn't debunk it. It simultaneously says the proof of the tunnels under the hospital is unconvincing and then says "but Israel build basement rooms in the 1980s so it doesn't count."
Probably frustration and despair. If your bargaining chip can't get you a bargain, all they're worth is 'revenge' against your opponent.
What a fucked situation.
Thinking on it, it was probably also costing them what are now valuable resources to keep them alive. When it's near impossible to get in and out of Gaza, food, medicine, etc. are worth their weight in gold.
If you don't have the resources to provide for your POWs, the correct solution is parole, not execution.
Hamas are terrorists. They work through terror.
How would you propose safely paroling them? There's already examples of released hostages then being killed by the IDF.
Any type of parole has to be at least marginally less dangerous for the hostage than execution.
If they die either way, no it isn't.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Alon_Shamriz,_Yotam_Haim,_and_Samer_Talalka
On 15 December 2023, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers operating in Shuja'iyya, Gaza as part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip killed three Israeli hostages taken during the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. The hostages, who were trying to be rescued, were visibly unarmed and shirtless and waving a makeshift white flag when they were killed.
Sounds equally dangerous to me.
Execution has a kill rate of 100%.
Even if paroling is stupidly risky, the ods of death are still <100%.
It would also be seen positively by everyone and one propaganda piece less for Israel to use.
Let’s argue with reason and not pretend that because it has happened before it will happen every single time. Cock-ups happen everywhere.
They did what you suggested with those specific hostages. It was not seen positively by everyone.
They also did it with other hostages that the IDF didn't kill. It was not seen positively by everyone.
So you're right, let's argue with reason. We can reason that what you're suggesting doesn't work based on what they've already done.
My friend, you are literally arguing that executing hostages is the same as attempting to release them under extremely risky conditions because it has failed in the past.
If that is truly your opinion, then I honestly have no more to say. I can’t reasonably argue with that type of opinion.
I still wish you a great day though and hope the fighting ends soon.
Historically you've shipped them to a neutral nation (like Switzerland) who negotiated their return to their home country on the condition that they not be allowed to rejoin the war effort either for the duration of the war or for a specific time.
None of these things are solutions that haven't been seen before.
Hamas is trying to keep as many alive as they can.
But (a) 2000 pound bunker busters don't discriminate between Palestinians and Israelis and (b) if the IDF comes too close to the hostages, their guards have to decide whether to let them go alive or to kill them.
In the case of the Druze guy, I can definitely see Hamas choosing not to kill him. But in cases of Israelis who also served in the IDF, the rational choice is to kill them instead of giving the IDF a propaganda win.
And finally, sometimes the IDF probably accidentally kills them and tries to blame Hamas if they can get away with it.
But in cases of Israelis who also served in the IDF, the rational choice is to kill them instead of giving the IDF a propaganda win.
This is a war crime. You can't execute POWs just because the enemy is getting close to the POW camp.
They aren't combatants or PoW, taking them hostage was a human rights violation from the beginning.
But Israel can't really expect Hamas to follow Geneva conventions when they themselves violate it a hundreds times as often.
But Israel can't really expect Hamas to follow Geneva conventions when they themselves violate it a hundreds times as often.
This is a massively false statement. And it's one that should make you reconsider your viewpoint from the ground up.
I don't know if a more incorrect statement could be made about this conflict.
Depending on how recently they were executed, it makes perfect sense. As the one holding hostages, you want to set the precedent that the only way to get them out alive is via negotiation.
They died recently enough for the bodies to be quickly identifiable. No DNA tests necessary or anything apparently.
Is Hamas even that disciplined to act as a unified front? Management or soldiers on the site could've decided themselves to take a revenge on hostages. Especially if they knew they are cornered and there were no use of keeping them alive if they are deadmen too.
Based on accounts from hostages who have been freed, Hamas is at least more disciplined than the IDF
Sounds like they were retreating from the area, and didn't want to bring the hostages with them. In this case, executing the hostages makes strategic sense, as it reinforces the threat that you are willing to do so.
It would be smarter for them to bring the hostages with them to keep their bargaining chips. You may be right but I'm putting my money on the IDF killing them with bombs and blaming Hamas until another restorer says something. Unfortunately, the IDF keeps killing all the journalists for some reason...