It is still collective punishment of innocent people. No different to Hamas targeting innocent civilians.
Look, I understand that direct murder of innocent people with guns generates a more visceral reaction of disgust than cutting off a water supply. If I'm honest I feel far greater immediate revulsion towards the Hamas attacks on the music festival than to Israeli bombing of Gaza, simply because I can relate far more easily to people at a music festival and imagine myself in their shoes more easily than I can imagine living in the desperate conditions of Gaza.
But there is also a rational component to morality. I don't feel as strong a reaction to the suffering of people in Gaza because I don't relate to them, I am exposed to fewer images of their suffering, and airstrikes and starvation feel less direct and terrifying than armed men shooting fleeing teenagers and dragging away screaming women as hostages into a van.
But I know logically that Palestinian suffering and grief is real and no less worthy than the suffering of innocents in Israel, and their lives have no less value. I think you have so far on this thread displayed a callous attitude towards their suffering by blaming Hamas for it, and I think you have taken some rather unconvincing mental gymnastics to explain how this is any less callous than blaming the treatment of Gaza for the attacks this weekend (which few have done - most have said it explains it but have not said anyone but Hamas is responsible. There are one or two odious exceptions from the usual suspects but certainly not Kabbes who you have directed an unreasonable amount of ire towards).
The fact is that your callous attitude towards the suffering of people in Gaza comes from your refusal to take anything but a visceral emotional reaction of disgust and anger as valid. Righteous anger that becomes its own justification is what continues the cycle of violence. More cool heads and attempts at understanding from both sides is the only way to resolve a conflict, even if it appears like it would take a miracle for cool heads to prevail simultaneously on both sides here. Righteous condemnation of those who try to understand the other side is hardly something conducive to peace.
There is a very real possibility that the response to this could amount to genocide and if so I suspect you are going to feel like a bit of an arsehole that your first response to Israel cutting off water and food supplies to 2.3 million people as well as power to hospitals while bombing refugee camps, apartment blocks and markets is to effectively say "well it's their own bloody fault" (you said Hamas' fault, but it's still the same shitty reaction that you have - often falsely - accused others of doing with Hamas' attacks on Israel). And in your most recent posts you have actually gone on to justify Israel cutting off water to 2.3 million people based on the actions of a few hundred militants with some crude analogy about a rapist hiding in a house. That is just as monstrous as Top Cat's worst posts in this thead. I know you are more reasonable than that so I suggest you take a step back and calm down.
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