logo
How America learned to embrace Israel's genocide as future of war

How America learned to embrace Israel's genocide as future of war

A recent article in The New Yorker literally turned my stomach. 'What's Legally Allowed in War,' the headline said. 'How US military lawyers see Israel's invasion of Gaza – and the public's reaction to it – as a dress rehearsal for a potential conflict with a foreign power like China.'
Advertisement
Lawyers working for the Pentagon now think anything is possible, everything is allowed. If America's military does it, it means it's legal.
The author begins with an interview with a retired US Army senior adviser on what is known as international humanitarian law, or the law of armed conflict (LOAC), which will be the new legal doctrine for large-scale combat operations (LSCO) and is heavily influenced by the Israeli conduct of war in Gaza.
In trips sponsored by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, the lawyer and several retired US three- and four-star generals were shown the rubble that is now Gaza - and were essentially told it was all Hamas' fault.
They were shown surveillance videos of Hamas activities, so the destruction that followed 'was not the product of an indiscriminate assault and that the laws of war had been upheld'.
Advertisement
'Hamas' use of civilian buildings transformed those sites into 'military objectives', the former US Army lawyer concluded,' the report said. 'The civilians killed were not targets but 'incidental deaths'.'
A subsequent report by the US delegation concluded 'that the IDF's implementation of civilian-risk mitigation 'reflects a good-faith commitment' to comply with the laws of war, whereas Hamas acted as a pervasive and intentional violator of the law'.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Syria to hold parliamentary elections in September, first since Assad's fall
Syria to hold parliamentary elections in September, first since Assad's fall

South China Morning Post

timean hour ago

  • South China Morning Post

Syria to hold parliamentary elections in September, first since Assad's fall

Syria will hold parliamentary elections in September, the head of a body tasked with organising the election process told state media on Sunday. Advertisement Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, chairman of the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, told state news agency SANA that elections will take place between September 15 and 20. They will be the first to take place under the country's new authorities after the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December. One third of the 210 seats will be appointed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, with the rest to be elected. In a recent interview with the Erem News site, another member of the elections committee, Hassan al-Daghim, said an electoral college will be set up in each of Syria's provinces to vote for the elected seats. Advertisement A temporary constitution signed by al-Sharaa in March called for a People's Committee to be set up to serve as an interim parliament until a permanent constitution is adopted and general elections held, a process that could take years.

UK PM Keir Starmer to recall cabinet from summer break to discuss Gaza
UK PM Keir Starmer to recall cabinet from summer break to discuss Gaza

South China Morning Post

time2 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

UK PM Keir Starmer to recall cabinet from summer break to discuss Gaza

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene a cabinet meeting next week, a government source said on Sunday, most likely to discuss the situation in Gaza after coming under growing pressure to recognise a Palestinian state. Advertisement The Financial Times newspaper, which initially reported the story, said ministers, currently in a summer recess until September 1, would reconvene to discuss Gaza. Starmer's office did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. The recall comes after Starmer said on Friday the British government would recognise a Palestinian state only as part of a negotiated peace deal, disappointing many in his Labour Party who want him to follow France in taking swifter action. President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would recognise a Palestinian state, a plan that drew strong condemnation from Israel and the United States, after similar moves from Spain, Norway and Ireland last year. Advertisement More than 220 members of parliament in the UK, mostly Labour members representing about a third of the House of Commons, wrote to Starmer on Friday urging him to recognise a Palestinian state.

Freedom Flotilla ship carrying aid to Gaza intercepted by Israel
Freedom Flotilla ship carrying aid to Gaza intercepted by Israel

South China Morning Post

time13 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Freedom Flotilla ship carrying aid to Gaza intercepted by Israel

The Israeli military has intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory, detaining 21 international activists and journalists and seizing all cargo, including baby milk formula, food and medicine, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on Sunday. The coalition that operates the vessel Handala said the Israeli military 'violently intercepted' the ship in international waters about 40 nautical miles from Gaza, cutting the cameras and communication just before midnight on Saturday. 'All cargo was non-military, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel's illegal blockade,'' the group said in a statement. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Israel's Foreign Ministry posted on social media early on Sunday that the Navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore. It was the second ship operated by the coalition that Israel has prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza, where food experts have for months warned of the risk of famine. Activist Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists on board the ship 'Madleen' when it was seized by the Israeli military in June Australian doctor Mohamed Mustafa addresses a press conference holding a prosthesis on the Freedom Flotilla ship Handala, ahead of the boat's departure for Gaza at a port in Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy, on July 13, 2025. Photo: AFP The ship's interception comes as Israel faces mounting international criticism over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, with concern growing over rising hunger in the territory amid Israeli restrictions on aid.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store