Israel - Palestine Conflict. **Mod note in OP - updated 1st August**

How silly of me to assume it was Israeli bombs in causing all the damage in Gaza:

"In recent years most of humanity has become more tolerant of groups who once seemed to be on the margins of society. But until now it’s still been acceptable to be offensive about one minority: the child murdering community.

At last it seems the mood is changing, and finally we’re beginning to hear the child murderers’ point of view.

For example one brave soul, prepared to speak out, is spokesman Uri Dromi, who explained on Radio 4 yesterday that although the Israeli government bombed a school that several children died in, the deaths are clearly the fault of the people who live in the areas being bombed.

What a refreshing change from that tired old thinking that always blames murder on the murderer. Mister Drome, once a spokesman for the Israeli government, said the Israelis were “lured into a trap, now Hamas sheds crocodile tears about the dead”.

If only more of us understood bombed schools in this way. We always rush to judge some poor kid in an American town who mows down his classmates, without even pausing to consider the dead kids probably tricked him into it, and now to make it worse their parents are all pretending to cry.

Even more imaginative was Michael Oren, ex-Israeli ambassador to the US, on Channel 4 News. He explained that Hamas was to blame for all this death, because “toasters and refrigerators have been booby-trapped”.

It goes to show you should never make up your mind too quickly. Many of us see pictures of buildings reduced to rubble with a bomb sticking out, and hastily conclude the bomb had something to do with the explosion. But look carefully and it becomes obvious it was caused by the silly sods blowing themselves up with a toaster.

As the bombing continues I expect we’ll hear more reasons why the Palestinians are to blame for being bombed. An Israeli minister will say, “These people in Gaza are always complaining that they live in a densely populated area, so we’re trying to help them out by reducing the population as much as we can to give them more space. But they’re still not happy. Some people are never satisfied.”

As times change, maybe Netanyahu and his spokesmen will become more forthright, and organise “Child Murderer Pride” in which child murderers can get together for a procession and carnival, where they can at last feel safe, and no longer feel looked down on for carrying out their basic human right to bomb a school to bits."
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/how-silly-of-me-to-assume-it-was-israeli-bombs-causing-all-the-damage-in-gaza-9640905.html

Akrasia wrote: »

Apparently it's the Palestinians fault for the breakdown of the ceasefire



So the Ceasefire was supposed to be so that the people of Gaza could resupply with food, seek medical attention and bury their dead, but the Israeli army attacked them because they dared to go outside...

Actually IDF troops were attacked and one captured this morning, its nothing to do with people going outside (The IDF have released a statement re. the captured soldier on twitter this morning).

What a lot of people 'tend to forget is that the resistance in Gaza is fragmented, not all the fighters are under the control of Hamas and so you'll get splinter groups attacking IDF pers.

Another thing, although the cease fire is supposed to be unconditional the Israeli government had issued a statement to say the operation to find tunnels would be ongoing, so its hard to see how Islamic Resistance, Hamas or any other group will stay on cease fire while houses & other properties are being invaded by IDF troops.

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

Yes, it is. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.608331
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183606#.U9t1DvldV8E

After the ceasefire went into effect, terrorists from Gaza attacked IDF forces killing 5 and it's feared that they have captured one soldier. It looks like abducting an Israeli is more important than the welfare of Gazans.

You just don't get it. You are justifying the slaughter of civilians by blaming them for the acts of a terrorist organisation. Would the British have been justified in bombing republican areas of Belfast after the Brighton Bombing?