Hamas targeting Israeli civilians for eight years

THE media priority now given to the Israeli targeting of Hamas facilities in Gaza contrasts oddly with that not afforded to the bombardment of Israel with more than 8,000 rockets and mortar shells by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed elements within Gaza over the past eight years.

When the infrastructure of these armed elements was targeted, it was beyond doubt that Israel did not aim to injure any civilians even though the sites from which it is attacked are located within or near residential areas

The great majority of those killed at such sites were not civilians but were involved in Islamic Jihad, Hamas, etc — the latest UN estimate suggests that about five of every six killed were armed Hamas forces.