… took advantage of the situation, leading to a military response. There remains controversy of how many of the casualties were civilians caught in the fray, Hamas fighters, or protesters treated with disproportionate force. To answer your question, …
… no, a state is not engaging in war when it defends its border. That said, protesters at a fence are not inherently a threat that warrants a lethal defense; however, that math changes if militants hidden among protesters create one. As a consequence, …
… there is a greater likelihood of innocent protesters getting killed not just as collateral damage but accidentally shot because they were wrongly perceived to be a legitimate threat. So what would I call that? …
… First and foremost, a tragedy. It's not a war, it's not a massacre, it's not an enacted agenda. The only thing I can say for certain is this. …
… Those militants who deliberately endangered their citizens have no excuse. Those soldiers that fired on protesters they knew were no threat have no excuse. …
… Those soldiers who shot protesters because they legitimately thought they were a threat have a legal excuse, but such incidents demand a thorough and honest investigation to confirm it. And now that I've answered your question, please return the favor: …
… Was October 7th was a terrorist attack that demands unequivocal condemnation, or a heroic operation of resistance to be celebrated?