To the editor: Hezbollah hit Israeli civilians with a barrage of rockets on Oct. 8, 2023, and has executed so every day for nearly a 12 months now. Was Hezbollah “retaliating” on Oct. 8? And for what, precisely? (“Hezbollah hits back with rockets as it declares an ‘open-ended battle’ with Israel,” Sept. 21)
In keeping with United Nations Decision 1701, no armed forces apart from U.N. forces and the Lebanese army are allowed south of the Litani River in Lebanon, making a buffer zone near Israel. Hezbollah has not solely violated the decision, however it has additionally elevated its armed forces in that space.
Hezbollah’s yearlong rocket barrage burned and depopulated northern Israel’s cities and villages. Israel can now not tolerate this, which ought to shock nobody.
Apparently, Hezbollah can defy U.N. Decision 1701 with impunity, however Israel’s actions in self-defense have to be “retaliated in opposition to,” which is a daunting show of political ethical inversion.
Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif.
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To the editor: If a Muslim nation have been doing this, “preempting” an assault by engaging in a strike that killed nearly 500 people, it could be referred to as terrorism. Why are we permitting this to proceed taking place?
It’s been almost a 12 months since Israeli forces began completely decimating the Gaza Strip. Israel has the precise to defend itself, however that is now not protection — it’s an outright egregious assault.
Punishing Hamas by killing so many Palestinians just isn’t one thing the U.S. needs to be supporting. Now we’re persevering with to ship Israel support because it units its sights on Lebanon?
Sufficient is sufficient. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is a significant menace to world peace.
Sol Siddiq, Riverside
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To the editor: I’m fed up with The Occasions calling Hamas and Hezbollah fighters “militants.”
Militants are people or small teams which might be prepared to make use of violence to realize their political goals. Somebody who bombs an abortion clinic when nobody is in it so it received’t be capable to carry out abortions is a militant; somebody who does so when persons are in it’s a terrorist.
However teams of 1000’s of people who find themselves armed with standardized weapons, who’ve uniforms and commanders and tactical and strategic plans, will not be militants.
Militants don’t have firms, battalions, brigades and divisions. Militants don’t have 1000’s of rockets and missiles.
Hamas and Hezbollah are armies. The Occasions ought to use the phrases “troopers” or “models” when talking of them.
Ephraim Landau, Ashkelon, Israel