You're right, the analogy got a bit out of hand. Murder was never mentioned in the original analogy, it was poking eyes, kicking nuts, and drawing a weapon.

I guess in the end we do disagree, because I still hold that it's logical for the belligerent with less power to use any means necessary to avoid annihilation. Seems like everybody here agrees (fortunately) that when the fighting stops, all belligerents should face a tribunal at the ICJ, but the conversation started with actions taking place during the fighting.

Palestine is a good example: they have no military so should they say to their oppressors, "welp we can't legally fight you so I guess you can ethnically cleanse us and take our land"? On the flip side, it's unconscionable for Israel to commit war crimes against Palestine when the power imbalance is so extreme. Not only is Israel extremely well funded but they also have a military industry worth billions, as well as an advanced high tech sector and surveillance equipment installed all over the occupied territories. First and foremost, Israel was legally bound to use police force in occupied Palestine. Military force in an occupied territory is illegal, so those Palestinians who commited the Oct 7th attacks should have been arrested as the result of police work, and faced a trial. But we all know this is a genocide and land grab (since 1967), and it seems absurd to expect the victims of that to adhere to international law, especially when the oppressors don't. "Let's not stoop to their level" literally means "let's die".

Anyway, I do appreciate this civilized conversation with someone that has an opinion different than mine. Lemmy is a great place.