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I have provided a link on what it means to be an occupying power. Israel was widely held to qualify for that position even before its invasion of Gaza. A government that doesn't govern is obviously incompatible with the existence of an occupying power. The 2 can't coexist. It doesn't make sense.

Just your way of saying that you've got nothing.

Whether or not Hamas is paying its police force is irrelevant. The issue is whether or not the police are able to perform police functions. Have you looked up the meaning of de facto yet?

Sure, and if all the police were removed from a major city and rioting broke out, the lack of police would have nothing to do with it. And to make it worse, in the case of gaza, there are desperate and starving people as well as criminal gangs. Such nonsense you come up with. And more nonsense when you claim that it is legitimate to target the police when they are engaged in functions that are not only perfectly legitimate but crucial to Gazans survival. Now if the Israelis were to offer to provide security to convoys, you might have half a point. But they haven't, so you don't.

Smirnoff or beer, the consequences are the same.

Actually, the liar in question is named Smirnov but a shared love of Smirnoff might explain why the Republicans have pushed this nonsense for so long.

The problem isn't only confined to Northern Gaza. And what this article fails to note is that Israel has made it too dangerous for local police to provide security for escorts: Israel Struck Palestinian Police Escorting Gaza Aid, Says US Envoy The top U.S. diplomat involved in humanitarian assistance for Gaza said on Friday that Israeli forces earlier this month killed Palestinian police protecting a U.N. aid convoy in the enclave's embattled southern city of Rafah. As a result, Palestinian police have refused to protect convoys, hampering aid deliveries inside Gaza because of threats from criminal gangs, said David Satterfield, Washington's special regional envoy for humanitarian issues. “With the departure of police escorts, it has been virtually impossible for the U.N. or anyone else, Jordan, the UAE, or any other implementer to safely move assistance in Gaza because of criminal elements,” Satterfield told an event hosted by the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-02-16/israel-struck-palestinian-police-escorting-gaza-aid-says-us-envoy

Just another way of saying that you've got nothing.

I just cited an article from the Wall St. Journal about Israel targeting the police. But if that's not enough for you, how about this: "Israel has not presented specific evidence for its claim that Hamas is diverting U.N. aid, and its recent targeted killings of Gaza police commanders safeguarding truck convoys have made it “virtually impossible” to distribute the goods safely, a top U.S. envoy said in rare public criticism of Israel... David Satterfield, the Biden administration’s special Middle East envoy for humanitarian issues, said that with the departure of police escorts following Israeli strikes, criminal gangs are increasingly targeting the truck convoys carrying badly needed aid. He said the lawlessness as well as regular Israeli protests at entry points by those opposed to aid going into Gaza have disrupted delivery. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-envoy-says-israel-has-not-shown-evidence-that-hamas-is-diverting-un-aid-in-gaza

Well, given that they are police, they are armed. And given that Hamas controlled the government, the police were members of Hamas. That doesn't make them soldiers or terrorists.

You're evading the fact that Israel is targeting the very people who could protect convoys.

Those would be expected consequence of both the lack of an active police force and of desperate people facing starvation.

My post was not just about Northern Gaza. Also, it doesn't specifically address the fact that Israel is attacking Hamas police which makes it too hazardous for them to enforce public safety. As the NY Times article I quoted above notes: "Gazan policemen are now refusing to protect the convoys because they fear they will be targeted by Israel because of their affiliation with the Hamas-run government, the officials said." And the Wall St. Journal that I quoted above notes that "Aid groups had been working with Hamas police forces to deliver aid, but U.N. officials said they were increasingly reluctant to do so because they have been targeted by the Israeli military. Tetro said “Hamas blue police” should be responsible for providing security for aid distribution. But he declined to say how they could continue do so when they have been attacked by Israeli forces that have set out to end Hamas security control in Gaza." 2 interesting articles. Have you read them?

Posting here instead of engaging in personal relationships is the most useful thing I can do for society. At least, that's what my parole officer says.

To those who suffer from the delusion that Hamas is still running things in Gaza: Gazans Ambush Aid Convoys Amid Food Shortages "But the Western officials said the attacks appeared to be mostly organized by groups of Gazans who were unaffiliated with Hamas, or were the spontaneous acts of desperate civilians. Hamas officials are barely present on the ground in any part of Gaza, the officials said, and international aid organizations are no longer coordinating their movements with the group that until October controlled the entirety of the territory... Gazan policemen are now refusing to protect the convoys because they fear they will be targeted by Israel because of their affiliation with the Hamas-run government, the officials said." https://archive.ph/1bvtW https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/21/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news Vital Aid Fails to Reach Gazans as Security Void Grows Aid groups had been working with Hamas police forces to deliver aid, but U.N. officials said they were increasingly reluctant to do so because they have been targeted by the Israeli military. Tetro said “Hamas blue police” should be responsible for providing security for aid distribution. But he declined to say how they could continue do so when they have been attacked by Israeli forces that have set out to end Hamas security control in Gaza. https://archive.ph/oRAD2 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/vital-aid-fails-to-reach-gazans-as-security-void-grows-46d010c9

If the Russians deem having Trump as President rather than Biden benefits them, then that would kind of undercut your argument. Given Trump's reluctance to assist Ukraine (Congress had to threaten to sue him before he released a second shipment of munitions to Russia), is it really surprising that Russia would prefer Trump over Biden?

Not based solely on info from the Steele dossier While information from a source such as Steele’s more than meets this probable cause standard, that is clearly not all that the warrant relied upon. Just from what we can see in unredacted form — and the majority of the application is redacted — it also walks through Page’s interactions several years ago with Russians who were eventually charged with being agents of Russian intelligence. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/fbi-wouldve-been-derelict-not-use-steele-dossier-carter-page-fisa-warrant

Not a felony unless it can be proven that they were deliberately taken. https://www.federalcriminaldefenseadvocates.com/remove-classified-documents

You need a link to prove that Hamas is not in charge in Gaza? Are they giving orders to the Israelis? What are they telling the Israelis? Please bomb us and be ruthless about it? Don't spare any of us?

The difference is that no one is claiming that white guys on the internet who never voted republican are representative of white guys or white people in toto. Whereas you seem to think that so black guys who support Trump are somehow representative of the black community. How clueless can you be?

Always the sign that someone's got nothing when they make it personal. Maybe it means more to you emotionally, but statistically it's meaningless. Just ignorant cherry picking.

"According to Sutterfeld, Israeli forces earlier this month killed Palestinian police — among them Hamas operatives — protecting a UN aid convoy in the enclave’s southern city of Rafah. As a result, Sutterfeld said they have since refused to protect convoys, hampering aid deliveries inside Gaza because of threats from criminal gangs. “With the departure of police escorts, it has been virtually impossible for the UN or anyone else, Jordan, the UAE, or any other implementer to safely move assistance in Gaza because of criminal elements,” Satterfield said." https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-envoy-israel-hasnt-provided-specific-evidence-hamas-is-stealing-aid-shipments/

Israel is not the authority there? So Hamas government workers are allowed to exert the authority of the Hamas led government? And Israel defers to their decisions?

Does Israel recognize that Hamas is still the government of Gaza? Does it allow Hamas governmental officials to carry out their ordinary duties such as policing?

Just because Israel is negotiating with the military wing of Hamas, that doesn't mean it considers that it's negotiating with the government of Hamas. As you clearly don't recall, this subthread began because you put forth the ridiculous notion that Hamas is still responsible for the safety of Gazans because it wasn't overthrown by them. That it was largely overthrown by the Israelis is apparently an irrelevant detail to you. . But then, you also believe that Hamas is distributing stuff in Gaza under the blind gaze of Israeli troops. Are you in doubt that Israeli troops are occupying most of the country? That Israel was widely held to be the occupying power even before the Gaza War? Does Israel recognize the authority of the Gazan government to carry out normal governmental functions like policing?