Sunday, September 28, 2025
Too Gentle
It isn’t clear what happened to Hind Rajab. The IDF initially said that they didn’t have any troops operating in the area, and I haven’t seen any follow-up. But to me, that is mostly irrelevant. Once Gaza started the war, it was a given that there would be casualties.
What did Gazans think would happen? Did they expect Israel to say: “We are unhappy that you murdered, tortured and raped more than 1,000 of our citizens, but because urban warfare always entails casualties, we aren’t going to do anything about it. So go ahead and murder our hostages, parade our people through your streets and celebrate your victory. We won’t do anything to stop you.”
No: if that is what Gazans thought, it was an unrealistic expectation. They sowed the wind and they reaped the whirlwind. Gazans have no one to blame but themselves for the fate of children like Hind Rajab. But even today, Gaza does not resemble Berlin or Hiroshima in 1945. The Israelis, as I said, have been gentle; Gazans have not gotten what they deserve. But perhaps the final battle is about to begin. I hope so.
Also, from Ed Morrissey:
This is what war looks like. Hamas wanted a war, started a war, and now they have two choices to end the war: total destruction or total capitulation. And even that choice has an expiration date.
