Merged Gaza just launched an unprovoked attack on Israel

[NoHolyCows]

Relying on a handful of snapshots to dismiss a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe is a textbook stunt.

It's the other way around! It's those who claim a "full-blown humanitarian catastrophe" that rely on a handful of cases of children with preexisting conditions, while dismissing the far more numerous photos and video of normal-looking people milling about.

A single image of a man hauling boxes tells us nothing about how long it’s been since his last meal.

It is not a "single image", it's almost every image or video coming from Gaza. And one can make deductions based on how the guy looks. Same as one can make deductions when a single child looks emaciated while other people in their family look normal.

Adults burn fat and muscle much more slowly than children, so severe hunger often shows up first as wasting or edema in little ones while grown-ups can still carry weight—or even retain fluid that makes them look plumper. The only way to know who’s truly malnourished is through systematic measurements—mid-upper-arm circumference, weight-for-height scores, blood protein levels—and those clinical surveys in Gaza’s clinics are ringing alarm bells, not random Instagram posts.

Who is conducting these supposed tests? Hamas health ministry? UNRWA, which has been infiltrated by Hamas?

Cherry-picking one family to paint every starving child as a Hamas agent is not skepticism—it’s cynicism.

It is not I who is cherry-picking this case, but all the Western news outlets who are running photos of this kid and acting as useful idiots for Hamas propaganda. I also did not call the kid a "Hamas agent", but I did say that his father likely was.

The “viral famine photo” exposé you link is a partisan blog that makes wild leaps from one family’s background to dismissing thousands of independent medical assessments.

It does a good job debunking this case. A case, which has been widely used for anti-Israel propaganda purposes.

Underlying health conditions and genetic disorders from cousin marriage are a separate public-health issue; they do not cause the acute wasting, edema, fungal infections and biochemical markers that define kwashiorkor and marasmus. To suggest otherwise is to conflate distinct medical realities and distract from the hard data showing tens of thousands of children in critical condition.

There are genetic conditions that affect nutrient absorption and synthesis of essential biomolecules. It is a good explanation of very different appearance of the propaganda kid vs. his own brother.

Khwashiorkor is not a static look that you can confirm or deny with TikTok highlights.

If you admit that you can't confirm it, then why did you bring it up? If a person posted a lot of videos from over a year ago, and looks pretty much the same, the reasonable inference is that she did not suffer a radical change in her circumstances, such as access to food.

Fluid retention can ebb and flow, and a brief edit of a smiling child tells you nothing about her mid-upper-arm circumference or blood albumin. The clinics in Gaza are filling malnutrition wards with kids who pass all clinical thresholds for emergency feeding—children you never see online. Your impression from a polished video clip is irrelevant next to those medical admissions.

It would be more credible if there were disinterested groups conducting these measurements and assessments.

Yes, some UNRWA staff were dismissed over misconduct, but its nutrition surveys adhere to internationally recognized standards and are independently audited by WHO, UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

Again, there is a long history of anti-Israel bias on part of UNRWA. You can't dismiss that and pretend that they would be above falsifying data for propaganda purposes.

Médecins Sans Frontières rescues migrants at sea under binding maritime law—not “smuggles” them—

It's de facto smuggling. These mass migrants deliberately put themselves in distress by launching flimsy dinghies and call for "rescue" on a satellite phone as soon as they are past the 12 mile territorial water line. All that is fully part of the plan. That makes "rescuers" who sail them to Europe instead to a port in Africa accomplices.

and their Gaza operations run under strict neutrality and medical ethics.

LMAO!

Smearing these agencies to discredit every report on Gaza’s malnutrition is a strategy to bury the facts. It fails to explain why ovens in UN clinics are baking therapeutic peanut-paste sachets by the thousands while ward after ward remains packed with children on the brink of starvation.

They would not need all those sachets if Hamas wasn't diverting what food does come in.

Relying on curated snapshots misses the point that Gaza’s crisis isn’t built on a few images but on territory-wide, systematically gathered data. UN agencies have declared Gaza a humanitarian catastrophe, with tens of thousands malnourished and hunger-related deaths soaring.

Visuals can highlight individual suffering, but clinical reality depends on systematic measurements—anthropometry, blood tests, hospital admissions—all of which consistently show severe acute malnutrition across Gaza, not just isolated snapshots.

Nutrition surveillance in Gaza is multi-actor: the local Health Ministry shares raw data that WHO and UNICEF validate; UNRWA’s surveys follow WHO protocols and are audited independently to ensure accuracy and impartiality.

Pointing out one miscaptioned photo doesn’t negate thousands of verified medical assessments. Even if a handful of images are flawed, the wave of clinic admissions for wasting and edema across Gaza speaks for itself.

Debunking a single image is useful, but it leaves untouched the independent, peer-reviewed surveys and famine-scale classifications now covering large swaths of Gaza.

Genetic disorders may explain isolated anomalies, but they cannot account for nearly 100,000 women and children now suffering severe acute malnutrition, nor for one in three children in Gaza City crossing emergency thresholds.

Edema and wasting ebb and flow. A video from last year tells us nothing about today’s clinical indicators—mid-upper-arm circumference or serum albumin levels—which have spiked dramatically since the blockade intensified.

Médecins Sans Frontières—an entirely independent medical NGO—runs nutrition programs under strict ethical guidelines and confirms the same patterns of acute malnutrition documented by UN agencies.

UNRWA’s figures are cross-checked with WHO, UNICEF and the World Food Programme. All partners publish matching nutrition indicators. There are no discrepancies to suggest data manipulation.

Under international maritime law, every shipmaster must assist persons in distress and deliver them to a place of safety. That duty is legally binding and wholly distinct from smuggling.

Mockery won’t change the fact that every rescue and nutrition program MSF runs operates under impartiality, independence and medical ethics, with transparent accountability.

Therapeutic feeding sachets are produced in dedicated UN and NGO clinics from secured supplies. Diversion of general rations can’t explain why demand for these emergency treatments remains overwhelming amid chronic under-supply.

NHC

 

[pood]

Now I am back after spending three weeks, building a huge and complicated, and potentially dangerous art piece, together with Palestinians, Israelis, two Ukranians and a Russian. We all got along really well, I know so much more about this conflict and to all of you who criticise Israel.... sincearely... go and fuck yourselves.

Right back at you, Genocide fanboy. So precious and convenient that you worked with Palestinians, Israelis, Ukrainians and Russians.

Riiiight.

 

[pood]

Worst-case scenario of famine happening in Gaza.

Not that our genocide fanboys give a shit. They like it.

 

[DrZoidberg]

Day one, one of the Jews made a mistake and joked he'd be kicked out of the camp. I quipped, "I would never do that. I'm trying to concentrate all the Jews into one camp". After that the ice was broken, everyone got along. Lots of jokes. Lots of holocaust jokes.

I have a simple flow chart on holocaust related humor and judging its worth.

• Do you have a holocaust related joke?
  • No... you don't. Stop! STOP NOW!

What a surprise that the woke guy is humorless.

I once asked the grandmother of my Israeli/Hungarian ex-wife why they told so many holocaust jokes. Her answer was "when things are too tragic, humour is the only way to talk about it. It's too painful otherwise"

If you think some things cannot be joked about, all that means is that you've never really had any serious problems in life. Congratulations. Good for you. But for the rest of us... humour is our way to cope with the pain of existance. There's a reason Jews always are the funniest.

You come across as the standard WASP woke busy getting offended via proxy, because you're too priviliged to ever have known pain yourself.

And the project was a success. We pulled it off as we'd planned it. Everything worked out. It was a team of 26 people, who all pulled in the same direction, and we all made friends for life. Awesome people.

Wow... now everything you say about Israel and Gaza has to be right!

Considering the general level of retardation in the posts of this thread, I think I'm one of the few who actually know what they're talking about. It's entertaining to see that the most clueless posters seem to be among the most confident. A finer example of the Dunning-Kruger paradox in action is hard to find.

It's also intersting how so many of those sensible in the Ukraine thread, suddenly had their brains fall out in this thread. A good example of how media narratives and group think works. It's just a shame when evil wins the media war.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I once asked the grandmother of my Israeli/Hungarian ex-wife why they told so many holocaust jokes. Her answer was "when things are too tragic, humour is the only way to talk about it. It's too painful otherwise"

Survivors of great trauma can deal with their trauma in any way they so choose, as long as it isn't harmful to themselves. We don't get to inherit that right, that is the worst appropriation there can possibly be. Jokes can be made just about anything, but the Holocaust isn't funny and it takes a comic genius to juxtaposition humor along side the Holocaust (like Beningi did with Life is Beautiful).

Congratulations. Good for you. But for the rest of us... humour is our way to cope with the pain of existance. There's a reason Jews always are the funniest.

Are you about to lecture me in how Family Guy only became funny after Season Four next?

You come across as the standard WASP woke busy getting offended via proxy, because you're too priviliged to ever have known pain yourself.

Offended via proxy? You are the one using proxy to justify laughing at something that isn't remotely funny.

It's entertaining to see that the most clueless posters seem to be among the most confident.

Now that is funny!

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Under international maritime law, every shipmaster must assist persons in distress and deliver them to a place of safety. That duty is legally binding and wholly distinct from smuggling.

Mockery won’t change the fact that every rescue and nutrition program MSF runs operates under impartiality, independence and medical ethics, with transparent accountability.

Therapeutic feeding sachets are produced in dedicated UN and NGO clinics from secured supplies. Diversion of general rations can’t explain why demand for these emergency treatments remains overwhelming amid chronic under-supply.

NHC

Netanyahu decided to enact siege tactics, tactics that some in here agree with. Hunger would be a natural result of siege tactics. I'm uncertain why those who support these tactics are now questioning the easily predictable results of them.

The 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia was awful, but only killed between 0.75% to 3% of the population. Some in here are apparently not happy that people aren't hungry enough.

 

[TomC]

Netanyahu decided to enact siege tactics, tactics that some in here agree with. Hunger would be a natural result of siege tactics. I'm uncertain why those who support these tactics are now questioning the easily predictable results of them.

Hamas led Gazans decided to launch a war against Israel. It continues to this day.

I'm uncertain why the apologists act surprised that the easily predictable results continue since Gazans are not interested in a peaceful resolution.
Tom

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Netanyahu decided to enact siege tactics, tactics that some in here agree with. Hunger would be a natural result of siege tactics. I'm uncertain why those who support these tactics are now questioning the easily predictable results of them.

Hamas led Gazans decided to launch a war against Israel. It continues to this day.

That isn't remotely relevant to my post.

I'm uncertain why the apologists act surprised that the easily predictable results continue since Gazans are not interested in a peaceful resolution.

Your petty name calling aside, I'm not even arguing whether the siege tactics are moral, wrong, etc... I'm saying that reducing food supply into an area should be expected to lead to hunger. There are people on this thread that seem caught by surprise by this, so much so, they can't believe there is hunger in Gaza at this point.

 

[laughing dog]

Netanyahu decided to enact siege tactics, tactics that some in here agree with. Hunger would be a natural result of siege tactics. I'm uncertain why those who support these tactics are now questioning the easily predictable results of them.

Hamas led Gazans decided to launch a war against Israel. It continues to this day.

I'm uncertain why the apologists act surprised that the easily predictable results continue since Gazans are not interested in a peaceful resolution.
Tom

Gazans are not interested in peaceful solutions or Hamas is not interested in peaceful solutions? What evidence do you have that Israel is interested in peaceful solutions?

No one here is defending Hamas. So the only apologists are those who are defending the IDF - that includes you. There is no reasons why you should be uncertain about what you are defending.

 

[southernhybrid]

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/...srael-over-gaza-but-trump-is-unmoved-00482891

President Donald Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill are keeping their criticism of Israel for its conduct in the Gaza Strip measured — even as they faced loud pressure from the MAGA base to rethink their support for Israel amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

The cautious approach from the White House and senior Republicans reflects the ascendance of a loud wing of the president’s base that has sharply criticized Israel. Those figures are clashing with more traditional Republicans, who view the bilateral relationship with Israel as sacrosanct and often refrain from criticizing the Middle East ally.

President Donald Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill are keeping their criticism of Israel for its conduct in the Gaza Strip measured — even as they faced loud pressure from the MAGA base to rethink their support for Israel amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

The cautious approach from the White House and senior Republicans reflects the ascendance of a loud wing of the president’s base that has sharply criticized Israel. Those figures are clashing with more traditional Republicans, who view the bilateral relationship with Israel as sacrosanct and often refrain from criticizing the Middle East ally.

I never thought I'd agree with anything that MTG said, but she seems to have a better understanding of what's happening in Gaza, and more compassion than some people posting on this thread.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) became the first congressional Republican to call Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip a “genocide.” In a tweet Monday night slamming fellow House Republican Randy Fine of Florida, she said that the “genocide, humanitarian crisis and starvation” in Gaza is as horrific as the Oct. 7 attacks.

 

[pood]

Over at Pharyngula, PZ Myers is calling for dismantling the Israeli state and life imprisonment for Netanyahu. Here, I disagree. After a fair trial at The Hague, Netanyahu should be hanged.

 

[Derec]

Over at Pharyngula, PZ Myers is calling for dismantling the Israeli state and life imprisonment for Netanyahu. Here, I disagree. After a fair trial at The Hague, Netanyahu should be hanged.

PZ Meyers has really gone off the deep end. I used to enjoy his writings in the early 2000s, when he mostly wrote about science, but then he became all political, and in a very left-wing fashion too.

 

[Derec]

NY Times is yet again caught publishing Hamas propaganda without checking it out first.

NYT quietly alters Gaza starvation story to include key details of child's medical condition

 

[TomC]

Over at Pharyngula, PZ Myers is calling for dismantling the Israeli state and life imprisonment for Netanyahu. Here, I disagree. After a fair trial at The Hague, Netanyahu should be hanged.

I'm not interested in your media crap.
But if it's reasonably close to true, my low opinion of PZ Myers just dropped below zero.

If he thinks that people defending themselves from violent Muslim terrorists should get life in prison for doing so, oh well. He's why the human race continues to be so wracked with violence and I am not expecting that to change in the foreseeable future.
Tom

 

[laughing dog]

NY Times is yet again caught publishing Hamas propaganda without checking it out first.

NYT quietly alters Gaza starvation story to include key details of child's medical condition

According to your link, there appears no dispute that the child is also malnourished in addition to hus pre-existing medical conditions.

 

[robnisch]

One thing I notice, is when someone is losing a debate they resort to semantics.

 

[TomC]

One thing I notice, is when someone is losing a debate they resort to semantics.

Yeah, it happens a lot.
Lots of people in this thread insist that Hamas are not Gazans. That Gazans are the victims of Likud and the IDF, handwaving away the violent Muslim terrorists.

The ones who invested in Gazan military installations, missiles, and weapons. Built under civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools and apartments. Then launched a huge terrorist attack on their neighbors.

But you can't point out this truth to the Islamic supremacists or their western apologists. Because they will retreat to semantics.
Tom

 

[pood]

One thing I notice, is when someone is losing a debate they resort to semantics.

Yeah, it happens a lot.
Lots of people in this thread insist that Hamas are not Gazans. That Gazans are the victims of Likud and the IDF, handwaving away the violent Muslim terrorists.

The ones who invested in Gazan military installations, missiles, and weapons. Built under civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools and apartments. Then launched a huge terrorist attack on their neighbors.

But you can't point out this truth to the Islamic supremacists or their western apologists. Because they will retreat to semantics.
Tom

Yeah, who propped up Hamas?

Netanyahu and Israel. Duh-oh!

 

[laughing dog]

One thing I notice, is when someone is losing a debate they resort to semantics.

Yeah, it happens a lot.
Lots of people in this thread insist that Hamas are not Gazans. That Gazans are the victims of Likud and the IDF, handwaving away the violent Muslim terrorists.

No one has handwaved away violent Muslim terrorists. Please stop spreading malicious falsehoods.

 

[pood]

One thing I notice, is when someone is losing a debate they resort to semantics.

Yeah, it happens a lot.
Lots of people in this thread insist that Hamas are not Gazans. That Gazans are the victims of Likud and the IDF, handwaving away the violent Muslim terrorists.

No one has handwaved away violent Muslim terrorists. Please stop spreading malicious falsehoods.

That ship has sailed. They do it constantly.