Having A Care

On Sunday, President Obama informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his "serious concern" with the growing number of casualties on both sides of Gaza. Secretary of State John Kerry, he added would soon travel to Cairo to press for an immediate cease-fire. Now, why didn't anyone think of that tactic, to travel to Egypt to impress on Hamas the need for an immediate cease-fire. Israel, if we recall, agreed to just such an initiative put forward by Cairo; it was Hamas that rejected the call.

But if Messrs. Obama and Kerry say so....

"This situation is intolerable", fumed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from Doha, Qatar. It may have slipped his mind that a few days ago he had remarked that it seemed pointless for Hamas to keep lobbing rockets into Israel. Now, he is in Qatar, a stalwart supporter of Hamas, providing it with millions to use in the re-supply of its rocketry.

Israel, however, is committing "crimes against humanity" by counter-attacking when rockets breach the border into Israeli towns and cities.

A draft resolution that "condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism", was drafted by the Palestinian Authority. A statement and intent that no one could possibly resist supporting. While overlooking the reality that Hamas deliberately positions its rocket launchers and weapons within crowded civilian areas, and in the process deliberately inviting a military response protecting its own civilian population, while giving Hamas ample propaganda fodder in conscience-wincing news footage aimed at portraying Israel as an aggressor.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was scheduled to meet in Doha with Qatari officials and Mr. Abbas. For personal safety reasons, Qatar is the chosen haven of the political leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshal, who affirms, reaffirms, iterates and reiterates the charter of Hamas is principally engaged with the obliteration of Israel from the geography, asserting there will be no peace nor cease-fire until that occurs.

A statement from Mr. Ban left little doubt of his position, condemning the IDF ground operation bombarding Shejaiya, as an "atrocious action", demanding an immediate cessation of the Israeli offensive, along with rocket fire from Gaza. "All sides need to be assured that international humanitarian law counts -- and that there will be accountability and justice for crimes committed by any party", he stated.

We can be assured on the record that Israel has been prepared time and again to respect a ceasefire, which Hamas has repeatedly rejected.

There was, in fact, a brief ceasefire requested by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which Israel had agreed to, to enable rescuers to bring wounded civilians out of Shejaiya, a ceasefire which Israel extended briefly unilaterally, but at 5 p.m. rocket barrages fired out of Gaza toward southern Israel targeting Beersheba, Ashkelon and Netivot. Somehow, Hamas just isn't hearing Mr. Ban's humanitarian message of hoped-for cessation.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, spokesman for the Israeli military, commented that ground forces had moved on Shejaiya after area residents had been given warning and asked to leave over the past three days. "The mission is targeting Hamas's terrorist infrastructure, including significant rocket-launching capabilities and an extensive tunnel network designed to aid infiltration into Israel for attacks on soldiers and civilians. Other tunnels lead to concealed rocket launchers or weapons stores", he pointed out.

"They have made fortified positions of all the town." A labyrinth of tunnels beneath houses has been painstakingly constructed, pointing out where Hamas prefers to place the funding at their disposal, in the enormous cost of work, time and money to construct tunnels for infiltration of militia personnel, importation of weapons and their storage, rather than the infrastructure that would advance the civic usefulness of a proper administration caring for the population under its control.

Israeli tanks ride along the border of Israel and the Gaza Strip, Sunday, July 20, 2014. Escalating their ground offensive, Israeli troops backed by tanks and warplanes battled Hamas militants in a crowded neighborhood of Gaza City early Sunday. The fighting, including heavy Israeli tank fire, killed scores of Palestinians, forced thousands to flee and damaged or destroyed dozens of homes. TSAFRIR ABAYOV — AP Photo

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/07/20/5706147/panicked-gazans-flee-heavy-israeli.html#storylink=cpy

Ten access shafts leading to tunnels under the town were discovered to be present in "Lower Gaza". Eight percent of the almost 1,800 rockets fired into Israel since July 8 were launched from Shejaiya. Hence the preoccupation with finding those tunnels and decommissioning them. This is the first duty of any state, to prevent and to stop attacks against its people and its infrastructure.

The very opposite of which is what motivates Hamas, which encourages attacks against its people and infrastructure for their martyrdom-propaganda value.

One fleeing resident of the city, 34-year-old Taghreed Harazin, with her six-month-old son, said she had thought the Israeli order to evacuate was meant for the eastern neighbourhood; she thought she would be safe at home before discovering that the order applied to her neighbourhood as well. But, she said, heavy shelling began as dawn approached. Her family ran into the street. She witnessed an ambulance arrive to take away a dead child and a wounded woman.

"We are not Hamas and we are not with the others. We just want to live in our homes. The people are not Hamas. Israel has a problem with Hamas. What's the fault of the other people? We have nothing to do with it", she complained, and when asked her opinion of Hamas's strategy, she replied: "Sometimes it's difficult to express your opinion." Israel, however, is primarily to blame: "They are shelling houses, people indiscriminately".

"If you say any word, it's held against you. Her husband had been beaten for complaining about Hamas.

Palestinians run for cover following an Israeli strike in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, July 20, 2014. Hundreds of panicked residents have fled the neighborhood which they say has come under heavy tank fire from Israeli forces. Some reported seeing dead and wounded in the streets, with ambulances unable to reach the area. Israel widened its ground offensive early Sunday, sending more troops into the Hamas-ruled territory to destroy tunnels used by the Islamic militants to try to sneak into Israel. HATEM MOUSSA — AP Photo

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/07/20/5706147/panicked-gazans-flee-heavy-israeli.html#storylink=cpy