Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Sunday, setting the stage for a major military operation in Gaza as fighting rages on Israeli soil. The declaration comes after Hamas, an Islamist militant group, launched a surprise assault this weekend that has so far killed over 600 Israelis.

Saturday was the deadliest day in decades for Israel and came after months of surging violence between Palestinians and Israelis, with the long-running conflict now heading into uncharted and dangerous new territory. Questions remain over how the Israeli military and intelligence apparatus appeared to be caught off guard in one of the country’s worst security failures.

Over 400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as Israel responds with airstrikes in the densely-inhabited enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed retaliation, warning his country would take “mighty vengeance” and was readying for “a long and difficult war.”

He urged Palestinians living in Gaza to “leave now.”

  • Cleverdawny@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Nah. They don’t support genocidal terrorists. If Israel wanted a genocide against Palestinians, it would happen.

    • Zaktor
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      1 year ago

      They’re engaged in terror and are actively engaged in ethnic cleansing. That it’s a slow grind rather than a fast act that would shock the world doesn’t change what it is.

            • Boggy@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Thanks for proving you have no idea what genocide actually means.

              • Cleverdawny@lemm.ee
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                1 year ago

                An attempt to eliminate a racial or cultural group of people, generally via either forced deportation or killing.

                Since neither Israeli Arabs or Palestinians are seeing population declines, there’s no attempt at genocide going on.