"Kevin, I am not aware of anyone claiming Bloody Sunday was self defence."
For decades the excuse given for the slaughter of 13 unarmed civil rights demonstrators, (plus 14 wounded), by British troops was that some of the demonstrators were armed and that there were IRA snipers in the vicinity - now admitted to be a lie.
I believe you've even put forward similar excuses for the massacre yourself (another lie, no doubt).
Not surprised you don't want to open that particular "can of worms".
It is common for belligerant and agressive forces to make such claims and treat civilian casualities as 'expendable' - the Americans have even invented a phrase for it - "collateral damage".
You have also attempted to excuse this in the past by describing the Gazans as 'Hamas hostages' who 'got in the way of Israeli fire'.
The deliberate targeting of civilians by Israeli troops has bacome commonplace - one Israeli ex-minister has been declared a war criminal and is unable to enter Britain because of such actions.
Jim Carroll