Collateral Deaths in Gaza

Dear Editor

 (Newcastle Morning Herald) 29th December 2023

I recognise that there are significant collateral deaths in Gaza and so the question what is an acceptable count as suggested by John Arnold is easy to answer from the comfort of our own homes; yet on a battle field when the enemy are among the non-combatants there is a different view.

I have followed the war progress from many sources and it is clear that there are three important factors to consider: 1. Hamas are hiding among the general population and sometimes dresses as doctors but carrying assault weapons; 2. They have a huge infrastructure of tunnels that are under, around and linking hospitals, schools, children playgrounds and apartment buildings with many shafts that permit entry and exit into all these facilities, from them that launch missiles, attacks, manage the military operations as well as store munitions and various supplies withheld from the Gazan population; 3. Directly use non-combatants as human shields as well as kill their own Gazan civilians at will.

Israelis are not perfect and do make mistakes yet they at least do far more than any other military force fighting in high density urban warfare when the enemy may not always be in military clothing, to limit non-combatant casualties. Some of the deaths of the Israeli soldiers are directly related to holding fire to prevent harm to non-combatants. One death is too many yet Hamas started the hostilities and are dedicated to the total destruction of the state of Israel, Israel regrets the death of every non combatant but Hamas must be stopped!

Yours In Good Faith

Milton Caine

(responding to)