by YZF | 2026-02-25 03:25:19+00:00
Naturally my prompt was about documenting violations by Hamas given the single sided comment I was replying to.

Israel's story is that it is merely responding to Hamas' violations. Are you claiming there are no violations by Hamas or are you somehow claiming Hamas is responding to the Israel violations?

I am not denying that Israel has used lethal force in Gaza since the ceasefire. It obviously has. What I am arguing is that the presentation of the use of force as a violation vs. a response to violation is false. If Israel takes action as a response to an attack on its forces, as it claims, and as Gemini appears to agree with (and we'll ignore Al Jazeera here for a second) then that is potentially legitimate.

Hamas is trying to "test" the line. Not implementing what it promised and continuously harassing Israeli forces. Israel does not have to put up with that.

Israel is also saying it will disarm Hamas by force if it doesn't. So let's not be all surprised here when it gets to that. Israel, like any other country would, is not going to tolerate an armed Hamas on its borders any more.

EDIT:

We can try and construct a more neutral prompt here:
"There have been many claims of Israel violating the ceasefire in Gaza while Israel has claimed Hamas has not abided by the terms of the ceasefire and is constantly violating it by attacking its troops, refusing to disarm, and refusing to hand over control of the Gaza strip. It is also claimed that Hamas has delayed returning the hostages as they promised. There are also claims that Israel has moved the yellow line. To put this in kindergarden terms, "who started", and is Israel responding to attacks on its forces to be considered a violation or a legitimate response to the attack? Please be brief in your answer."

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"Here is a breakdown of the current claims regarding the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire, keeping the differing perspectives in mind:
The "Who Started It?" Question

In kindergarten terms, the situation is like two kids caught fighting on the playground, with both pointing fingers and saying, "They started it first!"

Since the ceasefire went into effect, there has been a continuous cycle of clashes, making it impossible for the international community to universally agree on a single, inciting event.

Israel's Claims: Israel states that Hamas frequently breaks the rules by crossing the agreed-upon boundary (the "Yellow Line"), emerging from tunnels to ambush Israeli troops, refusing to disarm, and delaying the return of hostages and their remains.

Hamas and Palestinian Claims: Palestinian authorities state that Israel breaks the rules by conducting near-daily airstrikes, firing on civilians, and physically moving the "Yellow Line" deeper into Gaza to occupy more territory than originally agreed upon.

Violation vs. Legitimate Response

Whether Israel's military actions are viewed as a legitimate defense or a ceasefire violation depends on who is evaluating the situation:

The Legitimate Response View: Israel and its allies (such as the U.S.) state that if Hamas fighters cross the Yellow Line, utilize humanitarian routes to move weapons, or attack Israeli troops, Israel has a fundamental right—and an agreed-upon policy with mediators—to return fire and launch targeted strikes to eliminate the immediate threat.

The Ceasefire Violation View: Hamas, Palestinian officials, and various international rights groups argue that Israel's retaliatory airstrikes and artillery fire frequently go far beyond immediate self-defense. Because these strikes often result in widespread civilian casualties and displacement, they classify them as disproportionate and severe violations of the truce.

Ultimately, there is no universally accepted answer to these tactical disputes, as both sides view their own actions as necessary defense and the other side's actions as aggressive breaches of the agreement."

So... No answer depends on who evaluates this ;) I don't have a problem arguing for the Israeli side here because Israel can not let Hamas get away with anything. If Hamas wants peace they can stop testing the IDF, disarm and hand over control.