Thread

Updated Google Maps shows destruction of the city of Rafah

943 points · 947 comments · slowin

saturn_vk · 1790616232 · focus · HN ↗
It's sad that most world leaders do nothing to combat such genocide. There are so few sanctions against the state, or specific people, of Israel. Foreign forums are very much still open for business to them.
1. bamboozled · 1790636445 · focus · HN ↗
  What do you think world leaders should've done differently?
  1. cogman10 · 1790637983 · focus · HN ↗
    A lot.
    Literally on Oct 7, Hamas tried to return civilian hostages, who the IDF killed. This is why Hamas changed policies to only give up hostages through 3rd parties. They reached out to israel to try and return hostages and were ignored. They reached out to the US to return hostages and were ignored. [1]
    So for starters, the US could have pressured Israel to negotiate with Hamas to return the hostages.
    As Israel started to show genocidal intent (for example, killing aide workers multiple times). The US could have at a minimum threaten to withhold aide. In fact, there are laws on the books that a country such as Israel committing war crimes is ineligible for aide.
    Finally, the UN should have deployed peace keepers to gaza specifically to stop the genocide.
    Actions could have been taken, but they weren't because our politicians are so bribed by Israeli lobby money as to turn a complete blind eye to it's misdeeds.
    [1] <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-09-15/ty-article/.premium/hostage-families-release-list-of-govt-decisions-preceding-oct-7/000001a0-a521-dea8-afe0-e5adef4a0000" rel="nofollow">https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-09-...
    cromka · 1790640660 · focus · HN ↗
    > Finally, the UN should have deployed
    UN has no such power. I am still amazed how people do not get this.
    Members need to vote for such things to happen. It wouldn't, not in this climate.
    cogman10 · 1790641587 · focus · HN ↗
    The question was
    > What do you think world leaders should've done differently?
    Members should have voted in the UN to deploy peace keeping troops. The UN does have that power if it's voted for. This isn't a question of the current realities but a question of what the right actions are.
    bamboozled · 1790641983 · focus · HN ↗
    This is where you notice that the world is more complicated than social media posts.
    Like it would've been a nice idea, until you realize that Hamas is heavily backed by Iran, Iran is helping Russia, Russia is invading Ukraine, and it starts to look like that level of intervention is a step towards a world war.
    Then you notice world energy markets are going to be effected by a massive conflict etc.
    If the UN went into Gaza, got attacked by Iran, then had to respond, next minute they're attacking a close Russian ally, and maybe even China might have to get involved in that.
    What would've been good is if October 7 didn't happen, and that goes for both sides.
    cogman10 · 1790643088 · focus · HN ↗
    Iran would WELCOME UN peace keepers in gaza, are you kidding? Hell, I think even Hamas would welcome their presence. UN peace keepers would mean the likes of UNRA could operate once again in Gaza to deliver aid. It would also mean that Israel would have to stop it's aggression.
    > Iran is helping Russia
    lol, no, other way around. Though the Russia hasn't really been involved with Iran since Ukraine started. It's actually China that's the biggest Iranian trade partner.
    The only party that'd be upset over UN peace keepers in Gaza is Israel.
    bamboozled · 1790682584 · focus · HN ↗
    I don't think what you're saying is actually right, if peacekeepers came in, it would (likely) mean a freezing of the current borders / situation, and isn't that what most people say justified October 7, "the theft of land"?
    manyaoman · 1790684116 · focus · HN ↗
    Allowing international journalists in would make the genocide even harder to deny and at that point there's no more returning to the "current situation". Regarding the border, at least for Hamas the 1967 borders would be just fine: <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-2017-document-full" rel="nofollow">https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-2017-document-full (article 20).
    bamboozled · 1790687493 · focus · HN ↗
    Are you actually sending the Hamas charter and expecting me to read that and think it's reasonable ?
    manyaoman · 1790689661 · focus · HN ↗
    By all means enlighten me, what's unreasonable about it?
    yyyk · 1790753973 · focus · HN ↗
    [delayed]
    manyaoman · 1790758440 · focus · HN ↗
    I'm immune to Hasbara and not wasting more time debating it, but just leaving some Wikipedia snippets below as a kind of a "community note".
    > They never cancelled their original charter
    Wikipedia [0]:
    This document [the 2017 charter] reflects our position for now (...) The old charter was a product of its era, 30 years ago. We live in a different world today.
    > Also, Hamas literally operated the 'March of Return' (demanding the 'right of return') that year.
    Wikipedia [1]:
    The first demonstrations were organized by independent activists, but the initiative was soon endorsed by Hamas, the governing party of Gaza, as well as other major factions in Gaza.
    [0] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_Hamas_charter#Since_2017" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_Hamas_charter#Since_2017 [1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018%E2%80%932019_Gaza_border_protests" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018%E2%80%932019_Gaza_border_...
    cogman10 · 1790684286 · focus · HN ↗
    Only if you think Israel is entirely correct in their assessment that every single civilian building actually houses dangerous hamas terrorists. I don't think that assessment is correct so I don't think the UN peacekeepers would be behaving exactly like Israel and the IDF has behaved in Gaza. Nor do I think the UN would put the same restrictions on aid coming into Gaza. They wouldn't stop peanut butter and baby formula from entering.

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