Death Toll Mounts in Gaza as Israeli-Hamas Fighting Continues

Voices across the spectrum are reflecting on the mounting death toll in the Gaza Strip resulting from fighting between Israel and Hamas.

“War and Chaos”: Bonnie Kristian (Center bias) drew a distinction between Hamas— an “explicitly antisemitic terrorist group”— and the Palestinian civilians of Gaza, writing, “The millions of Palestinians who live in Gaza—and in Israel, the Palestinian territories, and elsewhere—are not all members or even supporters of Hamas.” Addressing the expected Israeli offensive into Gaza, Kristian warned that “terrorism does not happen in a vacuum” and that terrorist groups “thrive on war and chaos and overbroad revenge projects.”

“Wholesale Destruction”: A writer in Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias) argued that distinctions between Hamas and Palestinians are irrelevant because Israel's true target is the Palestinian people of Gaza. The writer claims that Israeli leadership has been “aching, for a long, frustrating time, to abandon the let’s-teach-Palestinians-a-lethal-lesson spasms of violence in favour of the much more satisfying wholesale destruction of the Gaza Strip.”

“Hamas’ Raison D’etre”: A writer in the Washington Times (Lean Right bias) argued that the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza would end if Hamas surrendered, writing, “Hamas leaders could emerge from the elaborate and expensive tunnels in which they are hiding. They could release their nearly 200 Israeli, American and other hostages.” The writer argues this will not happen because Hamas is not fighting to liberate Palestinians in Gaza, stating, “Hamas’ raison d’etre is killing Jews… Hamas turns metal pipes imported to distribute water into missiles.”