The myth of Gaza’s innocent civilians

The widespread marches declaring the "Stand with Palestine" decry the large number of casualties resulting from Israel's response to Hamas' atrocities of October 7. The marches are united by their declaration of support for innocent victims of Israel's retaliation.  The civilians they claim are the victims, as they did not start the war, it was Hamas. The civilians are the victims of Hamas too, and did not support the attacks on Israel. But is this so?

A recent poll went to find out. The results were published in the article The myth of Gaza’s innocent civilians

The results are sobering.  I'll let you read the article, but here a few snippets'

• "A recent poll of Arab Muslim residents of the West Bank and Gaza, known as ‘Palestinians’ circa 1967, conducted by the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) asked them.
• 74% supported the Hamas atrocities of Oct 7. Of these 59% “extremely” support them and another 15% only “somewhat”. Only 7% were “extremely against” and 5% somewhat against.
• That’s 74% in favor of murdering, raping and kidnapping Jews and only 12% against.
• Only 7% were ‘extremely’ against murdering and abducting children."

and

• "83% of those in the West Bank, ruled by the Palestinian Authority, said that they supported the Hamas atrocities. Only 7% were opposed. In Gaza, there was notably less enthusiasm at 63%. But after weeks of bombings and raids, only 20% seem to have decided it was a bad idea.
• Why were only 7% of those in the West Bank, but 20% of those in Gaza opposed?
• Do those extra 13% of Gazans reflect a people (slightly) more likely to value human life or terrorist supporters who, like their comrades in the West Bank, like it better when someone else is doing the fighting? If the attack had come from the West Bank, would 83% (instead of just 63%) of those in Gaza be enthusiastic about the massacre and beheading of Israelis?"

and finally. 

• "A majority believed that the Hamas atrocities were an Islamic response to the “defilement of Al Aqsa” by allowing Jews to set foot on the former site of the Holy Temple.
• 98% in Gaza and the West Bank said that they felt ‘pride’ as ‘Palestinians’ over the war.
• 74% expect the fighting to end with the defeat of Israeli forces in Gaza.
• Only 17% support a two-state solution while 77.7% want to destroy Israel and replace it with a ‘Palestinian’ state."

So are there 'innocent civilians' in Gaza?  Certainly, but most probably fewer than the Pro Palestine marchers claim.

Innocent civilians?

The many marches in our streets decry the death of Gaza's civilians caught in the Israeli bombing of Gaza with "These are innocent people.", "The blockade is a collective punishment." 

I am sure many are, but given that many of Gaza's 'civilians' are Hamas one day and civilians the next it is a difficult claim.

Even more disturbing is a recent X post by Victor Davis Hansen that exposes the 'innocent civilian' claims. His post is rather long but here is a snippet.

"Purportedly, free apartments and $10,000 bounties were offered by the Hamas leadership to Gazans who brought back Israeli hostages. And at that moment, though not now, there seemed to be hundreds of takers zealously following the Hamas death squads into Israel—including a few who had been prior guest workers in border kibbutzes.

That picture of eager civilian involvement was apparently confirmed by videos that emerged from the Gazan street, as the Israeli captives and dead were spit upon, struck, and reviled by civilian mobs—at least in the heady days after news of the easy killing of Jews in Israeli but before the IDF aerial response."

Read the full post here

https://twitter.com/vdhanson/status/1717256162134184256?s=61&t=ioxhnvnwGkDooaCYozPjSQ

So are they all innocent civilians? No, neither are they all civilians nor innocent.