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In case you were raised and suckled by she-wolves, here's a little background on Raid Gaza: the Gaza Strip is a piece of land that isn't owned by any sovereign power, and Israel and Hamas (the de facto government and militant wing of the Palestinian National Authority) are fighting over it. Up until late December, what amounts to a glorified border conflict had been relegated to suicide bombings and sporadic missile strikes. On December 27th, however, Israeli forces invaded the Gaza Strip and have been bombing the balls out of it ever since, although the UN is trying to get them to stop. There have been protests throughout the world, two of which I witnessed during my trip to Paris.

In any case, Raid Gaza is a Newgrounds flash game that is clearly a representation of the author's one-sided view of things: Israel is depicted as an aggressive power mercilessly killing women and children under the pretext of protecting the Israeli border town of Sderot. Raid Gaza is, ostensibly, a real-time strategy game, but the point isn't to win -- it's to keep a high kill ratio. My personal best was 17 Palestinians killed for every 1 Israeli, but the end of the game cites a 25:1 ratio in the actual conflict.

The game is not only politically one-sided, but is mechanically stilted as well -- you, as an Israeli commander, have access to unlimited aid from the United States and a slew of technological weapons, whereas the Palestinians only manage to fire a feeble rocket every couple of seconds. The game is hardly a "game" -- it's nearly impossible not to win, which brings up an interesting discussion point: Should games sacrifice engaging mechanics for the sake of making a political point? As it stands, Raid Gaza functions more as a political statement than a game, and, to be honest, I'm okay with that.

The most succinct summary of the Gaza conflict I've seen yet, and one that reflects my own views, comes from GamePolitics commentor Geoff:

No one is the good guy in this one.  You got hard-line Jews on one side pushing the rest of Israel to action and you got radical Arabs on the other poking the former with a stick.

In the middle are the innocent and diplomatic.  The former gets slaughtered and the latter are ignored.

[Via The Escapist]

[Edit: Destructoid member ajay42 has been kind enough to explain to me, via PM, the degree to which my first two sentences are a gross oversimplification of the actual situation in Gaza. My apologies for the oversight and my gratitude to ajay42.] 








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Joseph Leray is a founding Destructoid editor and has better hair than you. He speaks French and needs to send us his updated bio in English, preferably. Likes Confuse Ray, Feel My Blade A Mabari War Hound, Snot, Spiral Arrow, Argo, Dan Smith's critical hit bark, Rolling things up into my life Meet the rest of the team



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51 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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spam's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:20
spam
link to month by month death tolls on both sides
its hard not to think that the Palestinians have been taking it hard over the last few years
Aurvant's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:22
Aurvant
Ah, so games CAN be Anti-Semitic.

Actually, the Gaza strip was owned, and had been owned, by Israel up until 2005-2006 when Ariel Sharon and his "roadmap" to peace with Palestine gave up the Gaza strip to try and appease the Palestinian people (who aren't actually Palestinians but are really an exiled tribe from Syria) so that all of these conflicts would end.

That appeasement resulted in thousands of Israeli citizens being torn from their homes and being relocated somewhere else in Israel. Did that help with the Palestinian/Israeli conflict? NOPE. Hamas has still been bombing Israel (20 rockets a day) ever since.

So, I suppose Israel had enough.
Grimspoon's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:27
Grimspoon
Good job Leray, you've got the makings of a bitter political debate brewing on our favorite gaming blog! (To which I'll happily add my two dents.)

Israel has been keen on killing women and children long before the recent Gaza conflict. This is simply what they do. If a goofy flash game can open some people's eyes to the fact, all the better.

I'll just hit and run and leave it at that.
Benny's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:31
Benny
You can be anti-Israel without being anti-Semitic - for one thing, 24% of the population is non-Jewish. When people criticize US foreign policy we don't call them 'Anti-Christian'.
njsykora's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:34
njsykora
When Israel acts like a psychopath and someone mentions it, it doesn't make them anti-semitic.
killias2's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:34
killias2
First off, this is not anti-semitic. Criticizing Israel is not equivalent to making broad statements about the Jewish people or faith.

Second, there have been people living in Israel and Palestine since before written history. The Palestinians are not just an "exiled group of Syrians". Whatever you want to call them, they lived there, and much of their land was taken.

Third, Gaza was not owned by Israel. Gaza was occupied by Israel. Sure, some settlements were torn down, but only as more settlements were constructed in the West Bank (the only possible center to a viable Palestinian state) than had been torn down in Gaza.

Fourth, if Israel wants to maintain its Jewish and its Democratic characters, it better get serious about making painful compromises. Otherwise, Israel will be demographically Palestinian by 2100. This means yielding Gaza, West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

HOWEVER, not all the blame goes on Israel here. Hamas is a terrorist organization filled with morons and idiots who do not understand that their tactics are harmful both to Israel and to themselves. Hamas does not, currently, represent a group that can be bargained with. Abbas and the West Bank can be bargained with and (if Israel yields overwhelmingly Palestinian East Jerusalem) probably can come to peace with Israel in the next few years. Hamas is a very different situation

Regardless, what exactly does Israel hope to accomplish with this invasion? My argument: it's a domestic political ploy to prevent a far right sweep in the upcoming elections. I'm open to other suggestions. I just don't see what would work.
spam's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:37
spam
aventoid
im not sure i can be bothered to get in to this on a gaming site but look at the 1947 map here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UN_Partition_Plan_Palestine.png
and calling anti-Semitism makes you sound like a douche
linuxguy's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:39
linuxguy
Aurvantoid: did you forget about last century's immigration to palestine?or are you just being thick?
Peteru's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:44
Peteru
I'm with Jews on this one completely.
30% of city with nervous breakdowns and 15 casualties is MEAGER result for 5000 rockets, however it still is not something one can just ignore. They had to strike like any other nation. Imagine 5000 rockets fired at your country by political movement that calls for your total destruction? "It's not worth it, let's just ignore it"?

However,
IMO it's COMPLETELY FINE to make such a game. As one going the other way. It's political statement and it's ok to say it. It's freedom of speech to say things that are outrageous and untrue - as it is freedom of speech to say things nice and cetrain. Neither should ever by banned and ... no one should ever have power to say which is which and silence one of them.
silvain's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:44
silvain
Hey, I know! Let's give the southwest states back to the native americans! They worshiped that land. They have a divine right to it.

Neither side is right here, and I appreciate someone designing a game around that.
Joseph Leray's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:46
Joseph Leray
@Grimspoon -- that's certainly ok with me, but feel free to discuss the actual game I posted about, too.
Jumbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:50
Jumbo
@ silvain

Actually we did that already. They're called reservations. They're technically sovereign nations. And people can come and go from them freely without going through a bunch of checkpoints and inspections and their allowed to trade, etc. So not really an apt comparison.
ghets's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:52
ghets
They both need to quit bombing the shit out of each other.
GamingGoddess's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:54
GamingGoddess
I'm not too keen on this, not because of my political views, or because I have a problem with someone making a game like this...but because it's just so banal.

Whenever someone does something like this it's like there waving a little shining flag that says "Look how smart and socially conscious I am, I'm using the MEDIUM to make an IMPORTANT STATEMENT!"

Is anyone who didn't really care about this before going to care now as a result of this? Is anyone who's got a simplistic, completely one-sided view of things going to consider the situation more deeply and with more empathy because of this? Is it going to have any effect at all, besides making online forums slightly more contentious than usual?

To paraphrase Voltaire, I'd defend this guys RIGHT to make this game to anyone and everyone. But you have a right to do a lot of things that are a total waste of your time.
Jumbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 14:58
Jumbo
War is always a failure. Both a failure of individual personalities and a failure of systems and institutions. There's no such thing as a good war. Israel will not win anything out of this campaign. Rockets or suicide bombers will still blow up in Israel. Hamas/Hezbollah/Syria/Iran will never destroy Israel. But a lot of people will die and a few people will get rich off this insanity.
Joseph Leray's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:01
Joseph Leray
@GamingGoddess -- why wouldn't people be curious about the situation after playing this? Every other single medium in existence is politically charged -- it's what informs each of our worldviews. Would it be different if he wrote a book or painted a picture about it?

Sure, the game's a bit sloppy, but the medium's only been around for 30 years.
Grimspoon's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:03
Grimspoon
Have it your way Leray;

As you've already told us the game itself is garbage, serving as nothing more than a vehicle for presenting the creator's political views. That doesn't leave us with much, as you've already summarized the political ideals presented by the game.

But you asked if game mechanics should be dropped in favor of pushing political views. I'm not especially okay with that. I'm about as interested having other peoples' flawed political views shoved down my throat in-game as I am reading about them on my gaming blogs. :-D

Just kidding! Everyone here is a unique and special snowflake, and I'm always more than happy to learn about how they view the world. Srs.
trunxkam45's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:04
trunxkam45
Just for the sake of argument, Arabs are semites too. Israel acts like a rogue nation when it comes to their attitude towards Palestinians and should be treated as such. Through their policies, the only way out is a scorched earth policy against Palestinians. And that ain't too favorable.
GamingGoddess's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:11
GamingGoddess
@Joseph Leray:

In all fairness I'm not that fond of political rock and things of that nature either-- all too often, it's a big show of preaching to the already converted. Which is fine for what it is, but material like this is often given a kind of intellectual pass just because it's political-- like "Oh well, at least you're apparently trying to say something, we'll give you the 'thought-provoking' commendation."

For example, Nine Inch Nails is one of my favorite bands. The Hand That Feeds is largely a song about the war in Iraq, and though I actually like the song, I don't honestly believe that anyone who was in favor of the Iraq War had their mind changed by that song. They may have had their mind changed as a result of their respect for Trent Reznor and his outspoken views on certain topics, but that's a completely different issue.

Do I think it's impossible for someone to make a political game that actually has a purpose, and has a chance of educating people and changing people's minds? Absolutely not, but IMO the people who are capable of making that kind of experience usually already have their own visions-- they don't want to get bogged down in something as transient as condemning or promoting some political event or another.

Sorry if it seems like I was derisive of the article, I didn't mean it that way-- just derisive of the game:).
Aurvant's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:15
Aurvant
Eh, whatever.

Sure, I guess semantics can show that being Anti-Israel doesn't necessarily make you anti-Semitic. However, most anti-Israel arguments are usually born from the idea of Anti-Zionism.

Sure, I suppose there are plenty of people who genuinely believe that Israel is an aggressor in this conflict, but the majority of the anger doesn't stem from their military conflicts and pursuits (Didn't hear of any major protests around the world when Hezbollah and Hamas were bombing Israel) but because they are Jews.

Why do you think that just about every middle eastern nation around Israel wants to erase it? Is it because the middle eastern nations surrounding it are somehow bullied by them? Or could it be that the surrounding nations are filled with nothing but anti-Semitic teachings and rhetoric that indoctrinate their people to hate the Jews JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE JEWS.

You may see Israel as an aggressor in this, and that is your opinion. However, I see it as an act of defense on Israel's part to try and fight back the attackers who believe in nothing but Anti-Zionism and want nothing but the destruction of Israel.
gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:20
gamadaya
I know this guy isn't being anti-Semitic, but still, fuck him. And yeah, the when you look at death tolls on both sides, it looks a little one sided, but there's a reason for that. It's because the Israelis have worked hard and managed their country well over the past 60 years. Instead of following the example of the Palestinians and other Muslim countries in the middle east, they didn't let backwards religious ideas stand in the way of technological and social progress. After centuries of religious persecution, they basically just said, "Fuck it, we're not taking this shit anymore," and they fought back. I respect them for that. The Palestinians should have accepted the partition plan when they had a chance. They didn't, decided to fight back (with all of the middle eastern countries in the area on their side), and got their asses handed to them. Good fucking riddance. It may be an ugly situation with all the refugees, but somebody's got to lose this thing. And I'd rather it be the fuckers with Hamas than the Israelis.

Also, I hope I don't come off as anti-Muslim specifically. I'm just as much anti-Hebrew, but Israel doesn't govern as much according to religious beliefs as Muslim states, so I'm siding with them.
John Johnson's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:21
John Johnson
My ratio was 26.6 to one. The trick is to just not send any troops and tanks and instead exclusively use planes and missiles. I was getting ready to get into this debate, but I visit this site specifically because video games are my escape from the bullshit that gets sprayed across major (and minor) news outlets day in and day out.
linuxguy's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:24
linuxguy
@Aurvantoid: do you really believe that zionism is a good thing?
if it were just the desire to go to the holy land(I will not call it israel or palestine)that would be good,but if to do so you steal people's homes that's nothing more than invasion.
also what do you think of people hating muslims JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE MUSLIMS?
silvain's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:28
silvain
@Jumbo

You don't know much about history, huh?
Peteru's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:38
Peteru
@linuxguy

They got this land from UN. And it was almost deserted part of Ottoman Empire before the world war. This is one of these few parts of territory that were not conquered (like most of the other).

If they really wanted to "steal homes" why not just round up all Pallies from Gaza + West Bank and drop them in Jordan. They kicked arses of all neighboars in 6 days, they could do that too (at that moment). But they didn't. This part of land, far smaller than orginally planned BTW that they got from UN + heights around it from which mortars and rockets were launch in the past is what they want.

If pallies stop firing rockets and digging tunnels to Israel (these to Egypt could even be left alone) - they'll get a state.
But Hamas declares it's goal as annihilation of Israel and subjugation/elimination of Jews and it just won't stop.

---
BTW Even if someone had amnesia and forgot that it's given land from Brits to Jews that was grabbed from Axis after it was defeated - and say they conquered it. Still conquest is how most ouf OUR countries got thier turf. And they didn't use Pallies tactics of firing rockets from school yards, blowing up civilians in cafe's or sleeping with whole extended family when you're military leader with a bullseaye on you head - so after you're killed you take extra 20 civilian casualites with you.

Even IF it was just a regular war for terrain - Jews win again on HOW they fight it. There's only 1 thing that Pallestinians have - it's that they're weaker (which will win them support in spite of all). In every other aspect they are worse, but still David vs Goliath, kid with a stone vs Tank - many doesn't care about these other aspects. They just side with the looser thinking he's gotta to be the victim too.
gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:50
gamadaya
@linuxguy

I know I hate people who hate Muslims for no reason, but here's the key difference between Jews and Muslims. Jews don't issue fatwas and declare holy wars against people who don't agree with their religion. They don't have infidel taxes that they require non Jews to pay, and they don't encourage their people to steal from non Jews when in a foreign country. Maybe some might, but I'll bet they're are far less Jews like that that Muslims like that.
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:55
ArrestedDeveloper
Adam Carolla put it a good way. If the KKK started firing rockets into Mexico and Mexico retaliated he wouldn't be pissed off at the Mexicans, he'd be pissed off at the KKK.

I think it's all summed up in the quote:

"The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms there would be no more Israel. If the Arabs were to put down their arms there would be no more war."
-Benjamin Netanyahu
linuxguy's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 15:56
linuxguy

look at the map before talking.
also it's not the UN role to distribute land.
also you can't listen to the UN one time and ignore it the next.
Jumbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 16:11
Jumbo
@silvain

you don't make very interesting comments, huh?
gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 16:18
gamadaya
I've seen that map. What's your point?
boatorious's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 16:19
boatorious
Eagerly awaiting the day that games start to "grow up", by which I mean "substitute adolescent political invective for entertainment."

Because I know that's my problem when I play games. They are literally _too_ much fun, and in the meantime I'm not being exposed to any political propaganda at all.
linuxguy's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 16:30
linuxguy
gamadaya: comment directed at peteru for his "they got the land from the UN" if the UN gave california to some country would you just stand there?
ArrestedDeveloper: when have the mexicans put checkpoints in the USA? when have they completely locked 1.5 million people inside a 40 by 10 miles territory?
this is the last time I talk about this subject to people who hate each other for the console they like.
gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 16:44
gamadaya
@linuxguy: Let's say the Mexicans did do all that stuff. If those 1.5 million people were KKK members (a group characterized by it's militant practices and it's hatred of people who don't agree with it's policies), then I think everybody would be fine with that. Hell, I'd be willing to help Mexico.
dark-mullet's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 16:50
dark-mullet
Hamas is a horrible terrist organization.

But Isreal really does not care about blowing the hell out of civilians. Isreal certainly isn't the good guy. But that doesn't mean they're evil.

The UN should have just given them Florida and none of this would be happening.
Markusdragon's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 16:53
Markusdragon
Gaza is essentially a giant Ghetto. It's no wonder, based on the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, that radical groups like Hamas have gained power and authority, and even less of a wonder that they constantly lash out at their oppressors.
linuxguy's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 17:03
linuxguy
@gamadaya: did you just say you support ethnic cleansing?
Oh boy.
4knuckleshuffle's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 17:25
4knuckleshuffle
I have a new GOTY!
savagesaladin's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 17:31
savagesaladin
"Ah, so games CAN be Anti-Semitic."

What a bullshit statement. So in your view, any critical argument about Israel is anti-Semitic? So I guess I shouldn't say shit about Israel because I'll be crucified on on the subject. Jews have had it bad, they're in a tough position, protecting their people. But you just can't throw out "thats anti-Semitic" every time somebody is the least bit critical about Israel bombing towns, including schools and hospitals, because they believe there might be rockets near the area. That is stupid and unproductive.

Its all happening because of Hamas. They're using innocent civilians as a shield. I don't know why though, because Israel has no problem bombing them. If Hamas wants to attack Israel they should just bring the fight to them instead of being cowards. But they know that Israel would just destroy them.

Don't be afraid to speak out against Israel. Its ok, it doesn't make you an anti-Semite. I'm sure Israelis do it all the time. Israel is a country. Not a Jew. Know the difference.

In the end, the civilians lose.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 17:45
Holyetheline
This game is depressing me.
Capn Birdseye's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 17:48
Capn Birdseye
meh, it was ok, the music loop was pretty classic.

I think I will stick with "<current event minority death rampage> IV"
JimboMac's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 17:59
JimboMac
@ peteru

Is English your first language?
Jumbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 18:05
Jumbo
"They're using innocent civilians as a shield. I don't know why though, because Israel has no problem bombing them."

They let Israel bomb civilians so that people watching on TV will get all pissed at Israel for bombing civilians. Hamas-niks are suicide bombers. Sacrificing themselves and innocents is part of the strategy.
ajay42's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 18:25
ajay42
"In case you were raised and suckled by she-wolves, here's a little background on Raid Gaza: the Gaza Strip is a piece of land that isn't owned by any sovereign power, and Israel and Hamas (the de facto government and militant wing of the Palestinian National Authority) are fighting over it."

Wow thats a whole lot of factual wrong for such a short bit of writing. Amazing.Also to whoever said there's no such thing as Palestinians they're just "a lost tribe from syria": KILL YOURSELF. I don't even know where to begin on that one.

Anyway, I know better than to get into this debate on a freaking gaming blog comments section but if anyone really has questions and would like to know more about the conflict please PM me. I am getting a phd in middle eastern studies at columbia and have actually taught history of the modern middle east before.
hpv's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 18:34
hpv
Maybe you don't know what "de facto" means, but Hamas is not the "de facto" government of Palestine. They are the actual government of Palestine.

And the game is wrong, the kill ratio in the last week is more like 100:1.

Joseph Leray needs to do more than watch American media before he gets to push ignorant political opinions on the front page of Dtoid.
Joseph Leray's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 18:46
Joseph Leray
As Palestine isn't a country, I fail to see how they could have a government. I also know exactly what de facto means.

I also didn't push any political opinions, ignorant or not. I just pointed out that this game is making the rounds and that it's interesting.

And my media consumption is quite varied, thank you.
3faced's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 18:48
3faced
73 : 1

how?
build 1 missile silo. spend the rest of the money on missiles. hope for bonus scores. if you don't send ground troops, you don't have casualties.

note: there is 1 Israeli casualty before the game even begins. dreams of perfect score: out.
trunxkam45's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2009 23:10
trunxkam45
@Gamadaya:
Whatever reasons you have for killing civilians still doesn't make it right. Dead men tell no tales, and certainly the same can be said about dead women and children as well. The fact of the matter is that no matter what banner blood is shed for, blood is blood. And Israel isn't simply "fighting back", they are massacring people at a ridiculous rate. They can kill terrorists, Palestinian civilians, UN staff, blow up UN infrastructure, civilian homes, and do all sorts of illegal acts of war. They didn't get this far because they "worked hard". Your narrow-mindedness and blatant orientalism is typical. They got this far because they had support. Hard work does not protect fledgling nations from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

My ancestors were also people with no land and were promised some by the British. And you know what happened when things got sour and the locals didn't like us? The British went back on their word and tried to kill us. But luckily we set up a city and army of our own to keep those fuckers at bay.
Crumpet Lips's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/10/2009 05:23
Crumpet Lips
Whats the problem with it? Every single game I have ever seen which is based on war in our past is always one sided.

Whats the biggy?
Bodb's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/10/2009 12:36
Bodb
See, Israel only became Israel about sixty years ago. The land, formerly Palestine, had been occupied with Palestinians until some powerful Zionist Jew guy declared Israel the homeland of the Jews, a land without a people for a people without a land. Now, the Palestinians were fairly cool about this, and managed to coexist with their new Jew neighbors at a 2:1 ratio. But the problem was that more and more Jews were relocating to Israel, and the Palestinians were taking up space. So, in comes the violent resettlement of Palestinians by way of denying that Palestinians ever existed while taking their jobs and homes. Usually with guns.
Skip forward a couple decades to present day where we have a lovely little apartheid going here. Problem is, the Israelis want everything, and aren't too opposed to getting this through Ethnic-Cleansing-Lite, and the Palestinians, who want to keep the land they had for generations now really really hate the Israelis and are looking for revenge.
So now we have one prejudiced people repressing another prejudiced people, and the breaking point has been met. So expect another Yugoslavia type affair where the US throws all of its guns and media attention to the rich side (Israelis) while the other side is portrayed as a terrorist group.


IN SHORT, yeah the game is kinda accurate in that Israel gets all the support because they have more cash, but on the other hand, Palestinians are encouraging retaliation on their side.
Of course, there are innocent people on both sides, but still, whoever wins is going to start a genocide.
Calebyte's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/10/2009 14:20
Calebyte
Nobody likes civilian casualties, but they are a common part of war. It isn't like Israel can hover over the Gaza Strip with a ball point hammer and smash the militants while keeping the civilian population safe. Civilians always get caught in the crossfire; it's part of war.

I think it's pretty obvious that Hamas brought this on its own people. They refused to stop firing rockets into Israel after repeated warnings of military retaliation. That's like constantly poking a big dog with a stick.

The fact that Hamas is using its civilians as meat shields doesn't really help either.
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