Hamas has once again shown the world its true colors with the brutal murder of six Israeli hostages, including a U.S. citizen.

This horrific act is just another reminder that this terrorist group remains one of the most immoral, illegal and barbaric armed organizations on Earth.

War is inherently brutal and allows for significant violence that would be unlawful in peacetime. However, international law still prohibits deliberately attacking civilians to kill, injure or terrorize them.

Even launching such attacks is absolutely forbidden regardless of outcome.

There is one rule of war that may even trump protecting civilians - the obligation to treat humanely any captives or detainees.

This is codified in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions which apply to armed conflicts, including civil wars between states and non-state actors like Hamas.

Murdering people at your mercy because they have been captured violates this core humanitarian principle.

It's no surprise that Hamas operatives engaged in such barbarism given their complete disregard for even basic rules of war across all aspects of their terrorist operations.

The summary execution of these hostages truly symbolizes the depths of their immorality and illegality.

This tragedy also highlights the stark moral difference between Israel and its illicit enemies.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin suffered months of inhumane treatment as a detainee after being gravely wounded when Hamas deliberately attacked civilians at the Nova music festival, killing hundreds. 

Critics may cite high civilian casualties in Gaza to justify 'equality of condemnation.'

But any prosecutor can explain that there's no equivalence between those who intentionally kill and those who unavoidably do so while following the law.

This is exactly what this comparison reflects.

War may be hell, but the specific kind of hell Hamas has created for civilians it slaughters, detainees it abuses and murders, and Gaza's population it exposes to war's consequences is a hell even war itself does not condone.

Hamas' Barbarism on Display: The Murder of Israeli Hostages

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