First of all, there was no way for Israel to know whether the people they claim to be targeting were combatants when the attack occurred since Israel had no information about the status of these bombs when they chose to detonate them.

Secondly, placing a bomb in a common device that you have every reason to believe will spend much of its time in the proximity of civilians, in homes, markets and other public spaces, and choosing to detonate it without knowledge of the location of the bomb, or it’s proximity to your supposed target, is actively avoiding distinguishing between ‘combatants’ and civilians. I can’t believe that western brain rot requires this to be spelled out for it.

On the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks:

“© those which employ a method or means of combat the effects of which cannot be limited as required by this Protocol; and consequently, in each such case, are of a nature to strike military objectives and civilians or civilian objects without distinction.”

https://www.justsecurity.org/81351/the-prohibition-on-indiscriminate-attacks-the-us-position-vs-the-dod-law-of-war-manual/

It’s important to note that this is the consensus of much of the international community and the US (and I presume its surrogate Israel) have not signed on to the above provision despite speaking to support it. The weasely approach we (the US) have taken to these standards really demonstrates how hollow our sentiments are when we feign moral authority in international affairs.

18 U.S. Code § 2441 - War crimes

Prohibited conduct: “(D) Murder.— The act of a person who intentionally kills, or conspires or attempts to kill, or kills whether intentionally or unintentionally in the course of committing any other offense under this subsection, one or more persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including those placed out of combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause”

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2441

It’s literally a war crime to attack people who are not actively participating in combat. That includes people who are members of your enemy’s military.

Apartheid. Ethnic cleansing. Genocide. Terrorism. Israel and its benefactor are just awful.

Well, that’s terrorism right there. Wish I lived in a country that had a problem with such awfulness.

Biden is ideologically committed to Israeli apartheid and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, via genocide if necessary. trump, most Republicans, and most Democrats support or at least tolerate it for political expediency. It’s so gross. Because Biden has faced very few political consequences for all this, the Harris campaign, and presumably a Harris administration will just continue on with the hypocrisy, injustice, and violence. I cannot over emphasize that, given the distribution of power in the region, this is a US endeavor.

People will downvote this comment because it is uncomfortable to accept, not because it’s untrue.

Joe Biden did this.

You’d think that a “truth, justice and the American way” candidate like Harris would be all over such a straightforward issue like this. However, her DNC speech indicated that she’s likely to perpetuate the policies of the Biden administration that have provided cover to Israel for crimes like these. I would like to think that the international community is powerful enough to overcome US support for these atrocities, but it feels unlikely right now.

They are CONCENTRATING Palestinians into a CAMP for “humanitarian” reasons folks. It’s almost like Israel’s language is GHETTOing ridiculous.

Imagine having the power to just stop this, and not doing it. That’s Joe Biden folks.

The US has nearly unilaterally vetoed all international attempts to impose accountability on Israel in the UN forever. You’re mischaracterizing the world’s attitude about this. I never suggested that Biden can (or even should) deny all aid. Bit listen, I get it. I know it’s easier to rationalize horrific war crimes when you delude yourself into thinking that no one bears responsibility and no one has any power to change things.

I fully recognize that Republicans are lock step in favor of genocide. I’m pointing at the current administration because it’s, well, the current administration. They set foreign policy. They approve the arms sales. They provide logistical support to the IDF. They veto UN resolutions. They lie, obfuscate and gaslight the press and constituents who are protesting. Biden has enormous power but is ideologically devoted to the genocide. He has been the only president since Israel’s campaign started. For you to suggest that he doesn’t have agency here, that he doesn’t have responsibility for US policy, that he should be somehow excused from accountability, is nonsensical and a recipe for never accomplishing anything ever. I’m not surprised to hear a such defeatist attitude, as this has basically been the defining characteristic of the Democratic Party for about 40 years. It’s this cowardly, weak sauce, no fight approach to public policy that has facilitated American fascism’s advance to the brink. I have no patience for such bullshit.

It should be noted that, since Israel is only able to operate like this because of the financial, materiel, and diplomatic support of the United States, these are US crimes. We are doing this. Officials in the Biden administration, and it’s State Department should be held criminally liable for these crimes. Now is the time to hold Harris politically responsible for starting to fix our mess.