FIRST: The Discussion Post project consists of all members of the course submitt

FIRST: The Discussion Post project consists of all members of the course submitting material they discover outside of the course that bears on either of the two shooting wars currently underway: the war in Ukraine (going back to Feb of 2022), and the war in Israel. The assignment is in two parts.
Part 1: once each time window, locate and submit a link online to an article from a digital publication (e.g., New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, Foreign Affairs), blog or similar post (e.g., from a research organization, such as CSIS or the Institute for the Study of War to personal blogs), an opinion piece. The linked piece may be chiefly descriptive, laying out details of what has happened, who’s done what to whom, and may open out to examining patterns of interaction and response; it may shift more explicitly to an explanatory mode, seeking to account for why actors do what they do or why they respond as they do; or it may offer an assessment or interpretation of events. All are fine.
To complete Part 1 of the assignment, in addition to submitting the link, I want you to (a.) identify whether the piece speaks to questions of mobilization, definition and treatment of the enemy, or potentially a link between the two; (b.) and write 2 to at most 4 sentences laying out what you see is notable or significant about the piece. For example, the piece identifies the several organized groups in a conflict, and carefully distinguishes among them, or speaks to international actors playing a role in the conflict; or perhaps it specifies precisely how one group or another uses force and against whom, exactly, and with what consequences. Perhaps it details a new pattern mobilization and a reallocation of troops and materiel in response to a pattern of attacks. Or perhaps it goes still deeper. Be specific when you can — which actors, what social groups, doing exactly what or experiencing what, and so on. In writing this part, think about all of the analytic tools we’ve developed, such as looking at the relationship between the central state, the armed forces and society, and whether and how attack distinguishes between combatants and noncombatants, and with what effect.
SECONDLY: I want you to post one response to each post below. In this reply, please speak to what YOU find notable or important about the linked piece (perhaps that it surprised you, and exactly how, or underscored something you think is important in itself, or something else altogether). Write 2-4 sentences by way of response, and try to be specific.
Post #1.)
Death and Despair at Gaza Hospital as Fighting Reaches Its Doors – NYT
This article mainly concerns the definition of combatants/non-combatants and treatment of the enemy, and demonstrates how the Israeli government is becoming more and more willing to punish Gaza’s civilians in this war. The Israeli military has been targeting Gazan hospitals as of late, rendering multiple near useless due to lack of oxygen, water, electricity, and other vital supplies. The Israeli government claims that these devastating actions are necessary and justifiable because they believe Hamas to be concealing “vast complexes of tunnels” for their fighters underneath these hospitals. Destroying these strongholds, they posit, is imperative in defeating Hamas (which Israel still claims to be the goal of the war). However, as a result, not only are Gazan civilians being injured and killed, but they cannot receive care and medical treatment. Many people have been left to die because hospitals do not have the supplies to prioritize and help them. The United Nations has testified that not only are Gazan hospitals being attacked, but “U.N. facilities, hospitals, schools, shelters and places” in Gaza are being attacked as well, rendering much humanitarian aid useless.
I wanted to call attention to these recent attacks because this is an even more extreme change in Israel’s treatment of the enemy. Not only are Gazan civilians deemed to be fair game, but now the Israeli military is making it increasingly impossible for civilians to ever survive attacks. Destroying hospitals, cutting off supplies, and going after U.N. aid means that they are condemning people to death. Israel’s military seemingly believes that Hamas must be destroyed by any means possible, no matter what devastating tolls that may take on the Palestinian people.
Post #2.) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/11/27/world/israel-hamas-hostages-gaza-war
This article was posted in the New York Times today and was being updated live as I was reading it. It explains how Israel and Hamas have agreed to a truce for the next two days. This truce would allow Israel to get back some hostages and that the Israeli government has started to inform the families. The article also highlights some of the other things that have happened as a result of the war, such as three students in Vermont being shot because they were Palestinian. I just think that this article shows how much war can affect the world even in countries the war isn’t even being fought in.