Still Unclear

"The secretary-general is alarmed to hear that rockets were placed in an UNRWA school in Gaza and that subsequently these have gone missing. He expresses his outrage and regret, at the placing of weapons in a UN-administered school."
"By doing so, those responsible are turning schools into potential military targets, and endangering the lives of innocent children, UN employees working in such facilities, and anyone using the UN schools as shelter."
United Nations statement

A Palestinian woman gestures in front of an Israeli military equipment, which witnesses said left behind by Israeli forces during a ground offensive, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 26, 2014.
REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Imagine, the rockets discovered to have been magically placed by some unknown entity who even if known cannot be named for some discretionary reason, 'have gone missing'. Whereabouts unknown. This, despite that it has been stated repeatedly that the rockets when discovered, had been turned over to the 'appropriate authorities'. Such authorities also unnamed.

While, in fact, it is also known that those who placed the rockets in the UN school and the 'authorities' are indeed one and the same unnamed malefactors: Hamas.

But -- that's the United Nations for you; discretion, no naming, no 'shaming', diplomacy all the way. Unless they're shocked and dismayed and then turn to other kinds of language when they do name names and assess situations and apportion blame. The name of that game is ISRAEL. It's a game that the United Nations and its Human Rights Council plays to execrable perfection.

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness spoke of the misfortune of 16 people dying in a shelter operated by UNRWA. Pointing out that yes, though the circumstances of the attack were "still unclear", UNRAWA had provided precise co-ordinates of the refuge to the Israeli army.

Khaled Meshal, Hamas leader took the opportunity to request "more patience" of Palestinians in Gaza; he welcomed diplomatic efforts, but no breakthrough is appearing in the talks.

That might have something to do with one of those hudnas that serve Islamists so well; a brief or however long it takes interim of truce while the stock of arms is rebuilt, the wounded terrorists recovered and new recruits taking the place of those killed, and the time is felt to be opportune to resume 'hostilities' against the 'occupier' of Palestinian land; which is to say all the land that Israel 'occupies'.

Israel, for its part, doesn't mind truces, but much prefers peace agreements. And since the Hamas charter is quite clear that Israel's occupation of the land upon which the nation was built represents an insult to Islam, one that they fully intend to rectify by destroying Israel, why then Israel hasn't all that much interest in agreeing to a prolonged cease-fire that will simply allow Hamas time to rebuild and plan the fourth attack hoping for eventual success in its fervent aspirational devotion to push Israel to the sea.

Not as long as Hamas insists that it will agree to a cease-fire only and when borders are completely open between Gaza and Israel, Gaza and Egypt. And just incidentally all the Hamas fighters taken prisoner be immediately released. Then, when that requirement is fulfilled, Hamas might consider a cessation of firing rockets into Israel. Without those concessions which would spell the death-knell of Israel, no deal.

The Israeli army stated that fighting between itself and Hamas was taking place in the nearby area of Beit Hanoun, and with that reality had requested the UN and International Red Cross evacuate people, taking advantage of a humanitarian pause in the fighting to do so. Explaining that on Thursday several rockets launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip landed in the area. War is brutal.
Civilians get caught in the cross-fire.

It was ever thus.

An explosion during an Israeli strike in the northern Gaza Strip is pictured from the Israeli border with Gaza, early morning July 26, 2014, before a cease-fire takes effect.
REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun