A recent letter claimed Israel is committing genocide (“Genocide under guise of safety now occurring,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 7.) The definition of genocide is the killing of people from a particular nation or ethnic group. The goal of Israel is not to kill Palestinians, least not innocent children and their parents, as one of your readers suggested.

Palestinians make up more than 20% of the citizens of Israel, and more than 20,000 residents of Gaza have jobs in Israel. Israeli hospitals care for seriously ill patients from Gaza. Tragically, in war, civilian deaths are inevitable.

That Hamas is using citizens as human shields, hiding weapon caches in schools and has military installations below hospitals make it hard for me to understand why anyone would accuse Israel of genocide.

My heart goes out to all the people of this tragedy. If the terrorist government is eliminated, both Israel and the innocent people of Gaza will benefit.

Alan Pollock

Waialae

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