July 1, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette: On Oct. 7, 2023, a radical organization called Hamas attacked Israel and killed approximately (by Israeli estimate) 828 civilians, including 36 children. Hamas also took 251 civilians hostage. Following this tragedy, Israel indiscriminately bombed the Gaza strip, resulting in the deaths of an estimated (by Human Rights Watch and the World Health Organization) 57,636 civilians, including 21,283 children as of May 2026. Prior to 10/7/2023 and after 2008, the civilian death count in Israel was around 375, and in Palestine, a little under 8,000.
Looking at these numbers, I want to raise the question: what differentiates state defense from terrorist activity? What parameters do we expect a country to follow in warfare? And has Israel been following those parameters, both before and after October 7th?
I would argue they have not. It’s a given that we should view Hamas’ actions with disgust, and we should hold the same standards for the IDF. While discussions of Israel and Palestine often focus on religious divide — and I agree that both antisemitism and Islamophobia play significant roles in this issue — I nevertheless want to refocus the conversation on ethics. We know Hamas is an immoral group and we condemn them. How is it logical to view the IDF any differently?
And of course, this letter couldn’t possibly encompass the history here or the many injustices accompanying it, whether we start with antisemitism in the 1800s and Zionist response, the imperialist nature of the Balfour declaration, the Holocaust, or the displacement of thousands in Palestine following WWII. I would suggest that anyone interested in learning should attend a local teach-in event. But this letter can make it clear that if we hold different entities to different expectations in war, we might as well have no ethics at all. OISHANI BASUCHOUDHARY Baltimore resident, from Lexington
