Netanyahu compares Gaza strikes to WWII Dresden bombing

On Wednesday, 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed attendees at a Newsmax event in Jerusalem. During, he suggested that while overthrowing Iran’s government was never an official aim of the ongoing war, it could emerge as one of its consequences.

Reflecting on the events of October 7, 2023, Netanyahu admitted there had been “clear failures and intelligence mistakes,” marking a rare acknowledgment of shortcomings in 'Israel’s' security apparatus.

One of his remarks drew sharp international and humanitarian criticism when he likened 'Israel’s' military actions in Gaza to the Allied bombing of Dresden, Germany, during World War II, a campaign notorious for its devastation of civilian areas.

“We can bomb Gaza just like the Allies bombed the city of Dresden in Germany during World War II,” he said. Critics argue the statement underscores the scale of destruction being inflicted on the besieged enclave.

The attack on Dresden killed an estimated 25,000 civilians and left the city, then famed for its baroque architecture and cultural heritage, in ruins. Historians and ethicists have long debated its military necessity, given that Nazi Germany was already nearing defeat. Critics have labeled it an act of indiscriminate destruction aimed at civilian morale, while supporters at the time argued it was intended to cripple German transport and communication.

Also, by using Dresden as an analogy, Netanyahu not only drew parallels to one of history’s most devastating acts of civilian bombardment, but also implicitly compared Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom are living under siege and facing mass civilian casualties, to Nazi Germany. Critics say this framing is deeply offensive and dehumanizing.