• Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    6 months ago

    Destroying Hamas means destroying the leadership, so it can no longer function.

    Where is that claimed? Or is that just your opinion?

    • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      These were Netanyahu’s goals in October:

      destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities; and returning the hostages home

      And these are Netanyahu’s current goals:

      Seizing the Rafah Crossing is a very significant step towards destroying the remaining military capabilities of Hamas, including the elimination of the four terrorist battalions in Rafah, and an important step to damage the governmental capabilities of Hamas

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        6 months ago

        You mean his goals keep changing? Hmm… seems like a constantly changing military objective would allow you to kill an unlimited number of children justifiably based on your reasoning.

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          In October, he said he wanted

          1. destruction of Hamas’s military
          2. and governing capabilities;
          3. and returning the hostages home

          Today, he says the Rafah operation is a significant step towards

          1. destroying the remaining military capabilities of Hamas, including the elimination of the four terrorist battalions in Rafah,
          2. and an important step to damage the governmental capabilities of Hamas

          The first two goals look unchanged.

          There is no mention of hostages in my quote. Maybe he isn’t interested in that any more, but it’s entirely possible he mentioned it elsewhere and I didn’t see it.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            6 months ago

            destruction of Hamas’s military

            You mean the military that grows every time a child is killed. So this never ends and children never stop being killed.

            • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              0
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              6 months ago

              No, Hamas forces are steadily getting smaller. If there are new recruits, they are not enough to make up for the losses.

                • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  0
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  6 months ago

                  No, Hamas forces are steadily getting smaller. If there are new recruits, they are not enough to make up for the losses.

                  Your link:

                  Hamas may have lost half its battalion commanders by December, while half its battalions had been broken down as well.

                  The article suggests that they can recruit in the future, and maybe they can. Or maybe Palestinian militants will join a different organization, as I suggested.

                  But for now, Hamas is definitely smaller than they were in October.