“Your occupation?”
Ouch 
“I think we have been accused of loss of neutrality during this conflict, but it’s important to note that reporting what is being directly witnessed as healthcare workers does not represent a loss of neutrality,” she said.
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Not surprising. Urban guerilla warfare is a nightmare. Friendly fire incidents will be frequent, morale collapses quickly. The Russian army trashed multiple formations in Chechnya, finding out very quickly that the setting can neutralize massive disparities in hardware.
they’ve been finding this out along the Donetsk front for the past 18mo. Bakhmut previously and Ardiivka now
Urban warfare in general is like that, but in particular fighting an opponent that isn’t actually trying to hold ground is arguably worse. At least in Bakhmut, there was a clear goal of territorial control.
at first, yes. But as the UA forces determined the Russians had a game plan to simply overwhelm with numbers, they did a controlled withdrawl block-by-block laying traps and strategically mapped it out to inflict the most damage. hiding remote bombs as they left a block then detonating once occupied. this lasted for weeks, they levelled the entire area. first half of May 2023
Sure, but the Russians knew where the Ukrainians were, where they could go to attack them - it was a function of capacity and casualties. In Gaza right now, the IDF are getting hit in territory they understand themselves to control - where hours before a vehicle could pass and see nothing. Eventually, the Ukrainians in Bakhmut ran out of blocks, and it was over. This is a very different proposition - it won’t cost the Israelis anywhere near the same sort of casualties (though it will cost the Gazans a good deal), but there isn’t a pathway to an end to the fighting, on any terms.
why do you think the IDF is razing the Gaza Strip?
they don’t have to rebuild it
they don’t have to dig the bodies out
they don’t provide shelter for Hamas
Curious to know what this draft contains, specially, with regards to the shipment/distribution of aids. US wouldn’t agree NOT to oppose anything that’s not overwhelmingly beneficial to Israel.
Not entirely true. The US really does not have significant objections to aid reaching Gaza, but the cessation/suspension split is not one they are likely to move on. They seem untroubled by the contradiction of taking significant risks and expense trying to feed civilians who would then be endangered by a renewal of hostilities. It makes political sense in the US, and very little sense on the ground.
The cessation/suspension debacle was in the early stage (probably causing the first suspension of the vote) of the negotiations. The latter delays/negotiations were on the mechanism of the aid delivery and the condemnation of the violence. At least that’s what I have understood from the news reports.
The present draft is seriously watered-down. I wonder if it will have any meaningful impact on the ground. Though it will allow US to say that it didn’t stand in the way of suspension of hostilities and delivery of the aids.
The cessation/suspension issue is still there, connected to the delivery issue though. In essence, the sticking point has been the idea that the delivery of aid cannot be used as an interrupt, so to speak. Under the version that was floated last night, there would be no obligation to suspend hostilities to allow aid to flow.
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" U.S. officials have said that Israel should do more to reduce civilian casualties while fighting Hamas. The Pentagon increased shipments to Israel of smaller bombs that it considers better suited to urban environments like Gaza. Still, since October, the United States has also sent more than 5,000 MK-84 munitions — a type of 2,000-pound bomb."
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UNSC has passed a resolution for humanitarian aids without any suspension of fighting. How the hell are you going to distribute aids when bombs and bullets are raining on you?
US 
is such a cynical bustard.
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That’s my avian alter ego.
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They are totally co-responsible for the current massacre. 100%. Biden will essentially be remembered for this in the future.
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