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Hospitals have special protection under the rules of war. Why are they in the crosshairs in Gaza? (apnews.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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JERUSALEM (AP) — The head of surgery at Gaza’s largest and most advanced hospital held up his phone Saturday to the hammering of gunfire and artillery shelling. “Listen,” said Dr. Marwan Abu Sada as fighting raged around Shifa Hospital.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

This is, actually, an absurd opinion. Massive civilian casualties are inseparable from war, and you will be hard pressed to find a war without them.

The laws of war are built around, and exist because of, this assumption. They exist to give a framework that sets forth principles by which the loss of life can be evaluated.

Otherwise, by your definition, every warring faction ever is a war criminal.

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

Wow, that is an insanely obtuse interpretation of what I said.

Of course there are always civilian casualties In war. Of course that is why war crimes exist in the first place.

"Massive" literally means "Large in comparison to what is typical". So when I say massive civilian cassualties forgive me for assuming you'd understand I was using that word for it's intended purpose.

Bombing a hospital full of civilians is absolutely a war crime.