this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
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Environmental experts caution pumping seawater into underground tunnels could result in long-lasting consequences for groundwater in Gaza Strip

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Literally salting the earth. If they are ever going to allow Palestinians to return to their land, then they're going to make sure it's barren first.

The "good guys."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What should they do instead?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What should they do besides literal genocide? Gee, I dunno, fucking anything?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Yes yes Grandpa, everything is genocide, pumping sea water is genocide, defending yourself against a monocultural nation that constantly attacks you and murders your civilians is genocide…

I guess they should just… do nothing? Let Hamas keep the tunnels? Send in soldiers to the tunnels to die? Evidently you have don't have any better ideas but you're sure keen on criticizing.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Nah. Established definitions of genocide by the UN is genocide, and it's been happening in Gaza for decades.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Genocide is a claim of intent. That's only if israel intends to eradicate them in whole or in part which has not been established, there have been a few troubling comments from Israeli government officials but not from those in charge.

Hamas and other Palestinian groups are quite explicit about their intention to commit genocide. It's in Hamas' original charter. They seem to be the ones you're concerned about protecting by binding Israel's hands.

The UN treats national groups like ethnic groups for their definition, which I don't think is appropriate. If retaliating against a hostile nation in war with intention to destroy them at whole or in part, is genocide, this implies that October 7th was also an act of genocide, and every chant of, "from the river to the sea," is a call for genocide.

It seems like you approve of genocide, just by the other party. You're certainly going to great lengths to generate outrage about Israel defending themselves against a genocidal opponent.

I think it's clear you're just throwing around the words you think are most outrage generating, regardless of whether they actually are applicable here.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So, Hamas wants to commit genocide.

Israel, the country (not the people), is actively committing genocide.

Israel is committing genocide on the people of Palestine.

If it were only a war against Hamas, maybe I'd have some sympathy left. But their war is against the Palestinian people.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Genocide is a claim of intent, not ability. One can commit a shitty, ineffective genocide. One can kill a lot of civilians as collateral damage without it being a genocide.

Israel claims destroying Palestine is not their intent. Hamas says destroying Israel is their intent. Only one of these sides is explicitly genocidal by the UN definition.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So are you suggesting that Israel is "accidentally" committing genocide?

And if so, shouldn't we hold them accountable for their actions?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I'm suggesting that high collateral damage when attacking military targets is not genocide, nor is pumping sea water into these tunnels.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Are you joking?

Describing what Israel is doing as "high collateral damage" is like describing the US dropping its atomic bombs on Japan as "a tough negotiation tactic".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

No, I'm not. Genocide is a claim of intent, not of quantity killed. Israel goes to great lengths to ensure they attack legal military targets.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Also, it's really not a very effective tactic. See ant beds & humanity's 3000+ years of tunnel engineering knowledge for more information.

Nitrogen would probably be more effective.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I suspect it's easier to acquire large amounts of sea water than pure nitrogen, and sea water will presumably drive them out rather than just killing them. You're right, if they have air traps where the tunnels go up and down it will limit the effectiveness of this approach, I wonder if they do.