A Brief, Sad news update from Gaza

From the AP:

Israeli ground troops battled Palestinian militants in the streets of a densely populated Gaza City neighborhood early Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes and sending terrified residents running for cover as gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance.

Israel's push into Tel Hawwa neighborhood was the farthest it has moved into Gaza City during its 18-day offensive against Hamas militants, and brought Israel's ground forces within a mile of the crowded city center. Palestinian hospital officials say more than 900 Palestinians, half of them civilians, have been killed.

By IBRAHIM BARZAK and JOSEF FEDERMAN


From the BBC:

Palestinian medical sources say 920 people have been killed in Gaza so far, of whom 292 were children and 75 were women. Israeli officials say 13 Israelis, including three civilians, have been killed.

Really, really sad. According to numbers from aid groups on the ground nearly 40% of the casualties in Gaza are women and children. Regardless of who is right or wrong in the larger sense, regardless of any personal biases, Israel and Hamas's actions BOTH violate international humanitarian law. BOTH sides are targeting civilian areas. International law and the laws of war as defined in the Geneva Convention (1949 and 1977) are quite clear that bombing heavily populated civilian areas is a war crime. Very sad.

To be fair, Israel is probably not directly targeting civilians the way Hamas is, but is depraved indifference or negligence much better? Especially when the civilian casualty ratio is so staggering. At best, just assuming children are verifiably civilians, 100 Palestinian children have died for every 1 Israeli civilian. Qs a contrast, during the US invasion of Baghdad the child casualty rate was less than 5%; in Israel it is currently 34%. That is fuckng staggering. And inexecusable.