PALESTINIAN OWN GOALS...
Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 10:01AM I was intrigued by this report that claims "two Palestinian girls died yesterday when militants in the Gaza Strip bombarded southern Israel with homemade rockets and mortars, one of which fell short of the border and hit the victims’ home." A few points. The INTENDED victims were innocent Israelis. Those behind these rocket attacks are terrorists not militants. I am sorry that two young girls died because of the hubris of these Gazan killers but I notice that somehow Gazan terrorists along with those who support them are often presented as victims of those bad Jews.This then excuses the inexcusable. Also, I would have thought that the UN might have noticed this bombardment of Israel by Hamas but it seems not. I guess the UN is too busy thinking up new ways to castigate the real victims of Palestinian barbarism to notice. In the meantime, Gaza will bury its dead and blame Israel and then prepare for more rocketing. Partners in peace, right?
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Reader Comments (28)
They'll be burying quite a few IF today's reports coming out of Gaza are true.
Quite a prophetic Post title given events happening in Gaza at the moment. Absolutely stupid for Hamas to be firing their rockets into Israel knowing that the Israelis can always respond with a degree of force Hamas cannot match. What do Hamas think they can achieve for their people with these rocket attacks.
Colm, Hamas went on a ceasefire and Israel responded by shelling a beach. Hamas, later, went on another ceasefire. Israel kept its blockade up, which led to mass starvatation. Hamas needs to be seen to be doing something. They shouldn't be launching attacks against civilians but they need to do something, especially in response to the callous disregard for human life that the Israelis showed today.
"Israel kept its blockade up, which led to mass starvation"??? Gaza has a border with Egypt and Egypt is an Arab Country. Does Egypt also blockade Gaza? and if so -why?
"Hamas shouldn't be lauching attacks against civilians but they need to do something, especially in response to the callous disregard for human life that the Israelis showed today." Does not firing rockets rockets into southern Israel not show a callous disregard for human life also? And which came first?
Seamus
Please provide credible evidence of "mass starvation"
So long as there have been any missiles sent from Gaza to Israel, there has been no Hamas ceasefire. It has never existed.
"So long as there have been any missiles sent from Gaza to Israel, there has been no Hamas ceasefire. It has never existed."
Phantom, prove those rockets were launched by Hamas.
And in terms of the starvation, a recent UN report stated that the blockade was causing mass starvation.
Let's not get cute
If a government cannot control the launching of --missiles for Christs sake -- into a neighbor nation, then they have no power, aren't a player, and should not be negotiated with.
Can you provide any evidence that Hamas has tried to suppress the launching of missiles?
Lets see some evidence of the Gaza Gaza starvation
Reporters do get in there --let me see some pictures of a starving person there.
"If a government cannot control the launching of --missiles for Christs sake -- into a neighbor nation, then they have no power, aren't a player, and should not be negotiated with."
Should the British Government be blamed for Dublin and Monaghan, a Terrorist Attack that killed 33 people? It was after all, launched from their territory.
"Can you provide any evidence that Hamas has tried to suppress the launching of missiles?"
Is there any evidence that Israel is trying to avoid a massive humanitarian crisis and not blockade the people of Gaza?
Seamus
You addressed neither of my questions.
And, yes, I'd very much like to know a lot more about the role of the British forces / government in the Dublin and Monaghan atrocities. It has nothing to do with what we're talking about, but sure lets find out and shine a bright light on that one.
And another 200 Muslim fanatics bit the dust this afternoon.
I'll have to dig out my Cliff Richard LP and play that Eurovision winner from 1968.
"They need to do something"
Seamus. Why ? Please explain what sort of military action Hamas can indulge in that will improve the lot of the Palestinian people.
It is unlikely that all of the 200 were fanatics
But Israel's actions were necessary for its self defense. Any other country provoked in this way would have done a lot more
Provoked? Israel did the provocation. Did Hamas self impose a blockade of their country? No, they didn't. Also, when did firing a rocket attack into Southern Israel provoke that sort of reaction? A bombing campaign that kills 200 people. It would be like me firing a fire work and the police blowing up my house, with my family inside, in retaliation.
Can I have an answer to my two small questions?
"Please provide credible evidence of "mass starvation""
BBC Report
"Can you provide any evidence that Hamas has tried to suppress the launching of missiles? "
No, because they probably haven't. They weren't given incentive to do so. Israel was continuing to blockade the country and try to kill innocent people there. Why should Hamas try to protect Israelis, especially when Israel should it couldn't care less about Palestinians?
Oops, arsed the link up. Remove "
" from the end of the URL.
What the fuck is wrong with this site.
Remove br/
Seamus
Regardless of the argument about the extent of Israeli military response to the rocket attacks, what purpose do they serve. They pose absolutely no military threat to Israel , have no purpose in terms of defending Palestinians, just pointless (as well as causing fear to Israeli citizens) and providing a legitimate cause for Israel to attack Gaza.
Seamus
If you're not a registered user, I recommend that you become one.
You get the grace period to make edits to comments that you've made when logged in, which is the best thing since sliced bread, a feature that I've only seen on squarespace.
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The Israelis have already withdrawn from Gaza and they forced all the settlers to leave. The least they might have expected in return is to not be shot at.
Hamas has shown extreme bad faith, and they could stop the missiles any day they chose to. Allowing the firing makes it a sanctioned act by the Gaza authorities.
I hope the Israelis bomb as many Palis as possible to hell and back. Sick to death of hearing jack shit about relentless Pali missiles into Israel after the latter has retreated from land and made all the right moved - and while the fuckwit Palis waste international aid in order to look "hard done by" no less - and then whopping great headlines today when Israel FINALLY acts.
I'm not normally a fan of Israel but this response was fundamentally justified - OK one could say it was an over-reaction casualty wise but the Israelis had to do something along these lines.
Hamas had allowed the firing of or directly fired itself rockets and mortars into Israel - according to the BBC 200 this week alone. It has done this after Israeli withdrawal from the territory under question(obviously).
These rockets were fired at no discernible military, economic, political or intelligence target
They achieved nothing. They could never achieve anytihng - except to damage the Palestinian cause and to give Israel a reason to attack.
I appreciate Israel shouldnt blockage Gaza / withhold tax revenue etc but the continuos barrage strengthens support for those policies not weakens them.
Hamas can exert control over its territory if it wants to - it did so during the recent 6 month ceasefire.
It simply has no imagination or intelligent tactics. Its only policy is a self-destructive martydom.
by colm : "They pose absolutely no military threat to Israel"
Serious Colm, can I have some of whatever you're smoking???
The gaza strip should be be reintegrated as part of Israel proper, and the current malcontents infesting it shipped to somewhere in the middle of the Sinai.
That's just my opinion though.
Above should read 'seriously' not 'serious'.
So, William, Israel so go on another war of territorial aggression?
William
Yes you can have some of what I am smoking. It's called common sense, although it's obvious to me you are not partial to it.
Fair enough Colm, I'll just pop on over and start lobbing fireworks at your house. I won't aim overmuch, just fire them off any old how in the general direction of your front window. Hey, maybe I'll fire off a few at your kid's primary school as well, but I'll be real sure not to aim them directly at the playground - just let them land in the vicinity. That OK with you and your 'common sense'?
PS for the more 'challenged' of our readers that was a comparison, not a threat...
For Seamus and all the other fantacists!...
Things have sure come to a pretty pass when even Hamas's 'friends' can't stand their whingeing...
“Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit harshly censured Hamas today (27 Dec), placing responsibility for the current situation on Hamas. At a noon press conference broadcast on Egyptian television, he said that Egypt had repeatedly cautioned against continuing the situation and that whoever did not listen (Hamas) should assume responsibility and not blame others. He added that Israel had publicly warned that continued rocket fire would lead to military action.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister on Hamas