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Keywords: Civilians

  • AUSTRALIA

    Is a child terrorist a victim or perpetrator?

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 02 May 2024

    To identify children as terrorists is a distraction from considering the broader social and psychological contexts that made this violent ideology seem reasonable. The larger task in investigating how they became exposed to that violent ideology, how they were attracted to it, and how they can be drawn away from it.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    An indelicate balance: Israel and Iran exchange blows

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 01 May 2024

    For decades, the major powers of Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia have kept a restraint on their hostile engagements, with preference given to battle waged via proxies. A recent Israeli air strike on Iranian offices in Syria and Iran's subsequent attack on Israel with 185 drones, 110 ballistic missiles and 36 cruise missiles suggested that calculated restraint had been finally abandoned.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The inheritance of Anzac Day

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 16 April 2024

    Anzac Day draws us away from the geopolitical chess board to consider the price that so many persons have paid for the wars in which their leaders join. It reminds us of the need for diplomacy based on respect for the humanity of persons on all sides of conflict. 

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    When helpers become victims

    • Joe Zabar
    • 16 April 2024
    1 Comment

    When a missile strike in Gaza killed seven aid workers, it sparked global outrage and demands for accountability and raised questions around the protection of those who risk everything to provide aid in zones of conflict. 

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    When war becomes personal

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 10 April 2024
    4 Comments

    Our attitudes to war change drastically when it becomes personal. The killing of Zomi Frankcom, together with other members of the Charity organisation World Central Kitchen, made the war between Israel and Hamas personal. It has led many people to see the destruction of Gaza and its people as not only regrettable but intolerable.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Gaza by day and night

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 07 March 2024
    4 Comments

    By day, Gaza is news and images in the media. During the day, we nod as we see the plausibility of all the arguments. But sometimes at night, we may hear again the voice of lamentation, weeping and great mourning. 

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    The perils of being a civilian

    • Tony Smith
    • 22 February 2024
    1 Comment

      The illusion of warfare as a contest between professionals should have disappeared forever as the twentieth century brought numerous examples of barbarous armies butchering civilians. And unfortunately, the pattern now is that some 90 per cent war casualties are civilians. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    When missiles threaten our ethics

    • Tony Smith
    • 30 January 2024
    1 Comment

      This rush to the missile age is part of a broader escalation of the arms race in previously peaceful regions, distancing countries like Australia and New Zealand from their roles as honest brokers in a nuclear-free Pacific.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 25 January 2024
    1 Comment

    Proving genocide is an onerous task, notably on the issue of intent. The acts alleged must be specifically intended to destroy the group members in question. The UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect considers this element ‘the most difficult element to determine.’

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    How justified is South Africa's allegation of Israeli genocide?

    • Chris Middleton
    • 24 January 2024
    6 Comments

    South Africa has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice claiming genocide has been committed against Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. As the world anticipates a preliminary verdict, we consider key questions.  

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Best of 2023: The Israel-Hamas War in perspective

    • Alan Dowty
    • 11 January 2024

    In the midst of the fifth and deadliest war between Israel and Hamas, a retrospective analysis uncovers a history of missed chances and rising extremism that fueled this crisis. From Netanyahu's policies bolstering Hamas to declining support for the two-state solution, the situation raises a pivotal question: could a different approach have averted this catastrophe?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Best of 2023: Discerning the call to choose sides

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 04 January 2024
    2 Comments

    In the war between Israel and Hamas it's essential to look beyond the simplistic dichotomies of good versus evil, exploring how historical, cultural, and political nuances shape the landscape of this enduring conflict. In a world quick to take sides, there's a need for deep understanding, underscoring the importance of balanced perspectives in seeking lasting peace and justice in a region torn by decades of strife.

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