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Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17372/turning-point-in-gaza
Gaza Civilian Casualties Are Due to Hamas' Unprovoked Aggression Against Israel
(Gatestone Institute) Col. (ret.) Richard Kemp - Hamas could be quickly and much more cheaply defeated by crushing military force were it not for the Israeli need to minimize loss of civilian life. According to the Geneva Conventions, inflicting civilian casualties is not illegal provided a military operation is necessary for the prosecution of a war, they are not disproportionate to the planned military gain, and that combatant commanders do not intentionally target civilians while doing all they can to avoid hitting them. As the media unceasingly show us, the real victims in this campaign have indeed been Gaza civilians. But every one is due to Hamas' unprovoked aggression against Israel. None would have occurred without it. If Western governments, international bodies and human rights groups are genuinely interested in avoiding suffering in Gaza, they should strive to end Hamas' reign of terror rather than support it by parroting their narrative. The writer, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, was chairman of the UK's national crisis management committee, COBRA.