Hamas, everyday, said hello to Israel by launching a number of rockets into the nearby towns and cities. For seven years they said hello this way. Just think, this is the way they honour a ceasefire. I know that last ceasefire was only for six months. Why did they decide to end it and not merely extend it? Oh, they have a host of reasons they give. Most of those reasons, if not all of them, are hogwash. The reason they fight is because they hate. Hate knows no bounds and will suffer no insult.
Israel, everyday, took care of the wounded. Sometimes they tried to take out the attackers. Sometimes they succeeded. Sometimes they didn’t. Once in awhile they killed or injured non combatants. There were apologies and displays of sorrow when then hurt the innocent. They wanted to keep the ceasefire going. They were willing, begrudgingly, to suffer the losses caused by a handful of Hamas good morning rockets. Yet instead of the continuing bad peace Hamas up the attacks by a ten fold increase. For this reason Israel attacked. Though Israel is causing a lot of damage and deaths, it is limited to Hamas targets. Sadly, they still kill innocents in the crossfire. They sorrow and apologize and will try to help when the battle is over. They fight because they are angry at intransigent men who do not know the way of peace. They fight because the have to, not because they like to.
Over all I think it is sad. The Israelis pulled out of the Gaza strip, unilaterally two years ago, in the hopes that there may be a respite from violence. It was the perfect opportunity for Hamas to show how they can care for their own people. How they could begin to build a just society. How they could control the violence toward Israel. If they would have even done that in part, without rockets being launched, Israel could have become a very helpful friend. Alas Hamas did not take the opportunity. They dug tunnels, they smuggled in weapons, built rockets to kill Israelis. In the fighting now happening Hamas even kills or wounds in the leg Fatah Palestinians when they get in the way.
Perhaps if Hamas were merely angry with Israel peace may have some prospect of becoming a reality. But they are hate-filled people and sadly Israel must do what it is doing. If they succeed. If Hamas is defeated. Then perhaps the Palestinians who remain, and are only angry with Israel, can begin moving toward a peace.
There will be no peace in Israel until the Prince of Peace returns. This battle has been going on since Isaac and Ishmael. It’s all prophesied. You can read it in the bible. We know the end of the story.
I’m mostly sad as Hamas’ choice to use civilians – ie. the children at the UN school, as human shields. If Hamas fighters are filled with that much hate, it appears they are also filled with cowardice. To use other humans, children, as shields – appalling!
If those who are using human shields were only cowards. Perhaps then, out of fear, they would begin to negotiate. The truth of the matter is that they use human shields, women and children, not to protect themselves. They use human shields in the hope that when Israel responds to their shootings and bombings some women and children will be killed so that the world will condemn Israel for those deaths.
According to international law, anyone who uses people as a shield between the attacker and the defender, is guilty of a war crime. I get so angry when I see children wounded, disfigured or dead on the news. My anger though is not directed at Israel who are responding to weapons fire. I am angry at Hamas for causing and then using the pain and deaths of the innocents for political advantage.
Sadly, most of the world governments blame Israel and not Hamas. These governments turn a blind eye to the true culprits Hamas. Then again, these governments hate Israel. They wouldn’t admit it. It is buried deep in their nature. It shows at times like these.