David C:
Like many of Israel’s critics you seem to lack an understanding of the reason behind the law and customs of war embodied in documents like the Geneva Conventions. Accepting your interpretation of the laws and customs of war incentivizes hostage taking thus negating the purpose of the Conventions. To large extent this has already happened. HAMAS and Hezbollah exploit innocent civilians to protect their military forces from retaliation allowing them to kill and main Israeli or Lebanese civilians. The actual purpose of the Conventions is to make violators pay a double penalty first by being subject to military retaliation and then being subject to post conflict war crimes charges. Had Israel merely fulfilled their treaty obligation and then attacked and destroyed HAMAS or Hezbollah fighters wherever they were found from the very beginning far fewer innocents would be at risk today. A smaller number of collateral civilian casualties at the beginning would have saved far more innocent lives at the end.
Giving you the benefit of the doubt about your real motives your apparent compassion leads to more death and destruction then necessary.
