From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Washington Post backs Israel, pans Hamas
A Washington Post editorial lambastes Hamas’s “stomach-turning” tactics, arguing that the terror organization seeks Palestinian civilian deaths to gain international favor. The paper also praises the Israeli military measures to limit civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
“Why would Hamas insist on continuing the fight when it is faring so poorly? The only plausible answer is stomach-turning: The Islamic movement calculates that it can win the concessions it has yet to obtain from Israel and Egypt not by striking Israel but by perpetuating the killing of its own people in Israeli counterattacks. More than 200 people, including a number of children, have already died in Gaza; Hamas probably calculates that more deaths will prompt Western governments to pressure Israel to grant Hamas’s demands,” it writes.
“To its credit, Israel has used sophisticated technology, including targeted text messages and dummy warning missiles, to minimize civilian casualties. But innocent people will inevitably be killed in attacks on launchers and missile factories that are purposely placed in densely populated areas.”
Click here to read the full editorial.
The Times of Israel Community.