It is absolutely terrorism. When the pagers went off most of the people hit by them were in plain clothes, including a child, people were just seeing other randomly exploding and are adding strain to hospitals. This is a terrorist attack.
I think the point was that, for the people around, this was undistinguishable from suicide bombers, which are usually considered as terrorists.
Terrorism is meant to inspire terror and insecurity. This did exactly that.
Customary international humanitarian lawprohibits the use of booby traps – objects that civilians are likely to be attracted to or are associated with normal civilian daily use – precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk and produce the devastating scenes that continue to unfold across Lebanon today. The use of an explosive device whose exact location could not be reliably known would be unlawfully indiscriminate, using a means of attack that could not be directed at a specific military target and as a result would strike military targets and civilians without distinction.
Is it precise? From the pager terror attacks only 9 or killed, maybe 2 of them “fighters”, at least 1 child, 2700+ wounded including medical staff and other innocent people. That’s not exactly precise in my books.
I mean you are fundamentally making an argument against war. Which I agree with. When waging war someone innocent is always going to get caught in the crossfire, which is one of the many reasons war is bad.
But to call all acts of war terrorism, and all terrorism an act of war, is to pretend words don’t have meanings.
No, I’m not calling all acts of war terrorism, or all terrorism acts of war. For example, Ukranian artillery striking Russian troops in a trench most certainly an act of war, and not terrorism. Detonation explosives attached to people who aren’t aware, who are potentially innocent, potentially in crowded locations, in hospitals, or schools, isn’t an act of war, and is text book terrorism.
This flippant accusation misses the grander issue.
If Israel is capable of precisely targeting enemy military like this, then why are there 35k dead in Gaza?
It’s a good point
But the accusation isn’t flippant. That’s exactly what this is.
If the beepers and radios were targeted at Hezbollah militia members, then it isn’t terrorism.
If the equipment was sold in regular retail channels meant for the general Lebanese population, then it is terrorism.
We don’t know enough to make that call 100%, but early analysis is strongly suggesting it was targeted.
To call it terrorism at this point is flippant and unsupported, and draws attention away from and fails to highlight their larger crime of genocide.
It is absolutely terrorism. When the pagers went off most of the people hit by them were in plain clothes, including a child, people were just seeing other randomly exploding and are adding strain to hospitals. This is a terrorist attack.
Yes, and when we bombed Germany in WW2 we killed hundreds of children. War is bad. Terrorism is bad. But they are different things.
Genocide =/= war. Stop trying to justify genocidal terrorism on the basis of some imaginary “war”.
There is a difference between the actions in Gaza and the actions in Lebanon.
Too early to tell, but likely not
oh good, if i find myself an active combatant in a war-zone i should just chuck on a t-shirt.
Regrettable but civilian casualties in a war-zone are inevitable
they weren’t randoms, at the moment it seems they were Hezbollah
That’ll happen when a large number of combatants are taken out at once
I think the point was that, for the people around, this was undistinguishable from suicide bombers, which are usually considered as terrorists. Terrorism is meant to inspire terror and insecurity. This did exactly that.
Human Rights Watch called it unlawful:
There is no “war-zone”. There are no “combatants”.
There’s just genocidal terrorists murdering civilians in several different states.
Hezbollah have been firing rockets into israel for months, it absolutely is a warzone
Is it precise? From the pager terror attacks only 9 or killed, maybe 2 of them “fighters”, at least 1 child, 2700+ wounded including medical staff and other innocent people. That’s not exactly precise in my books.
I mean you are fundamentally making an argument against war. Which I agree with. When waging war someone innocent is always going to get caught in the crossfire, which is one of the many reasons war is bad.
But to call all acts of war terrorism, and all terrorism an act of war, is to pretend words don’t have meanings.
No, I’m not calling all acts of war terrorism, or all terrorism acts of war. For example, Ukranian artillery striking Russian troops in a trench most certainly an act of war, and not terrorism. Detonation explosives attached to people who aren’t aware, who are potentially innocent, potentially in crowded locations, in hospitals, or schools, isn’t an act of war, and is text book terrorism.
Genocide =/= war.