[slibhb]

Hamas can't go toe-to-toe with the IDF. They are hiding in tunnels and among civilians, so these ratios aren't surprising.

To some extent, you can't blame Hamas for these tactics. They would quickly lose a conventional war. At the same time, if you have zero chance of winning a military victory, perhaps you shouldn't use violence to pursue your political goals...

[SomeoneFromCA]

Yes right, if israel is unable to fight conventional war, without massive disproportional amount of civil casualties, they should not probably engage in one.

[llamaLord]

Looking at the historical data, that tends to be a pattern of urban warfare, not the IDF.

Civilian/combatant fatality ratios of 3/1 are not uncommon in urban warfare.

[SomeoneFromCA]

As if we know how many Hamas fighters have been killed at the first place. According to the official stats there is like 259 IDF casualties during the land operation. Which means that death ratio is 30:1 wrt to supposed 8000 Hamas death.Laughable.

Even then, military necessity of killing combatants, not actively particpating in the war is not justified. Yes, you can kill those, who is shooting the rockets at Tel-Aviv, but bombing willy-nilly all of Gaza just because there might be tunnels, where potential combatants might be hiding,. is not acceptable, although not am not an international law lawer.

[runarberg]

Well, it is not acceptable, and it seems like the ICJ has, indeed, not accepted it.

[nvm0n2]

That wasn't their choice ...

[SomeoneFromCA]

"No choice" is how all genocidaires justified their actions.

[dlubarov]

What’s the alternative? Just no response and wait for Hamas' next attack?

[runarberg]

Then they shouldn’t. That’s the simple answer of it. If they want to get rid of Hamas they will need to find another way. This level of civilian casualty is unacceptable. And as proven by the ICJ decision, it is not accepted.