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Updated Google Maps shows destruction of the city of Rafah

943 points · 947 comments · slowin

  1. bognition · · focus · HN ↗
    Its really telling to see the destruction limited to where the structures used to be rather than to all of the surrounding green spaces. If the destruction of civilian dwellings was purely an accident you'd expect to see the destruction spread evenly over the area. Instead it looks much more like a prolonged set of surgical strikes to destroy the buildings while preserving as much of the surrounding areas as possible.

    For a great example of this, look at this pin <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;maps.app.goo.gl&#x2F;ZcMbdFcx87PrqoYNA" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;maps.app.goo.gl&#x2F;ZcMbdFcx87PrqoYNA

    And here&#x27;s a pin of where the farms were spared <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;maps.app.goo.gl&#x2F;iZbbTH4iH27FCz4s9" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;maps.app.goo.gl&#x2F;iZbbTH4iH27FCz4s9

    1. biimugan · · focus · HN ↗
      I don&#x27;t quite understand your argument here. In your first pin I&#x27;m struggling to find a single building that isn&#x27;t leveled, or at least severely damaged. Even buildings far away from the city center in the boonies are leveled.
      1. cogman10 · · focus · HN ↗
        They are saying that this is genocidal destruction. In a war sometimes civilian infrastructure is hit as collateral. But here, all infrastructure is destroyed and it&#x27;s clear this wasn&#x27;t done by 1 or 2 errant bombs but rather because of direct targeting. It can&#x27;t be argued to be an accident because in farmland you see no bombs which hit the farmland by mistake. In other-words, this is entirely purposeful.
        1. YZF · · focus · HN ↗

          [dead]

          1. pjc50 · · focus · HN ↗
            &gt; evacuation orders. This prompted an estimated 1 million to 1.4 million civilians

            &quot;Evacuating&quot; a million people who will not be allowed to return is &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

            1. YZF · · focus · HN ↗
              1) They will be allowed to return.

              2) It is a requirement by international law.

              3) If we compare this to the Battle of Mosul. Which is a pretty good comparison. They are very similar. That battle had a much larger civilian casualty count. The allies there decided to not evacuate the population and the result of that was a much larger number of civilian deaths. Are you proposing that Israel should have done the same? I.e. not evacuate the population and have a significantly higher number of civilian casualties? Do you feel that if Israel did that it would enjoy a similar support as the allies had when they went after ISIS in Mosul?

              Basically Israel did the right thing here. Provably better (judging by the number of civilian casualties) than the western armies that allied against ISIS did in Mosul. The ethnic cleansing allegation is not supported by evidence and really can&#x27;t be proven until the war is over.

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