Solo: Palestinians are human, too

Israel could have relied exclusively on its infantry to precisely target the kidnappers and retrieve the kidnapped. However, it chose to massacre and maim a colossal number of Gazans in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Ashu M.G. Solo is a resident of Wilmington.

Israel’s military killed over 270 Palestinians and injured about 700 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, during a daytime raid of the Nuseirat refugee camp that freed four Israeli prisoners. As a former infantry officer, I understand military tactics.

In the U.S., if people are kidnapped, law enforcement doesn’t kill hundreds of people and injure hundreds of people in the vicinity. A SWAT team is deployed to get the kidnapped and capture or kill the kidnappers.

Israel could have relied exclusively on its infantry to precisely target the kidnappers and retrieve the kidnapped. However, it chose to massacre and maim a colossal number of Gazans in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is because of actions like these that Israel has repeatedly and credibly been accused of committing genocide. Israel foolishly killed three prisoners being held by Hamas during the massacre.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips defended the death toll during the raid of the Nuseirat refugee camp in an interview with Mehdi Hasan. When Hasan asked Phillips if Palestinians have a right to kill over 270 Israelis to retrieve four Palestinian prisoners being tortured by Israel, Phillips showed his hypocrisy by being against that.

Also, it’s hypocritical for Phillips to defend over 270 Palestinians being killed to retrieve four Israelis when he’s against 1,139 people (including 373 security force members) being killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in response to 75 years of attacks and oppression by Israel.

Attacks by Hamas have been a response to attacks and oppression by Israel. Prior to Oct. 7, Israel was illegally blockading Gaza and occupying West Bank; killing and injuring Palestinians; stealing Palestinian land and homes; wrongfully incarcerating and torturing Palestinians; depriving Palestinians of food, water and electricity; and otherwise severely oppressing Palestinians. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, between Jan. 1, 2008, and Oct. 6, 2023, Israel killed 6,407 Palestinians and injured 152,560 Palestinians, whereas Palestinians killed 308 Israelis and injured 6,307 Israelis.

The best way for Israel to get prisoners held by Hamas back and maintain its security is to offer a cease-fire, end its illegal occupation of West Bank and illegal blockade of Gaza, end the killing and assaults of Palestinians, and release Palestinian prisoners held without convictions or charges. All these actions should be done anyway and demanded by the U.S. Hamas would certainly accept the preceding because it has offered to release the prisoners for a permanent cease-fire and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.

The U.S. hypocritically provides the weaponry for Israel to indiscriminately kill Palestinians because it doesn’t value Palestinian lives like it values Israeli lives. The U.S. needs to stop arming and funding Israel, stop vetoing resolutions critical of Israel at the United Nations and stop defending Israel’s illegal actions against Palestinians.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.