Israel only protecting its citizens

I take issue with your recent editorial (‘Terror rules in Gaza and in Ukraine, Irish Examiner, July 21), because you refer to "Israel’s terror campaign" and make outrageous comments about my country.

This is not a terror campaign, but a war for the life of Israel’s citizens. It is a military operation to stop the terrorist organisation, Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, from bombing Israel with rockets. Hamas has done so since 2000, firing 14,000 missiles on Israel. The latest wave of attacks began two weeks ago, and reached a new intensity, placing most of Israel’s population within range of rockets, paralysing economic life and society. What is Israel supposed to do? Stand idly by as its country and people are held to ransom? No country in the world would tolerate this. On Tuesday, July 8, Israel began a campaign of targeted airstrikes to eliminate Hamas’s military infrastructure. Last week, Egypt — an Arab country, but which has diplomatic relations with Israel and is, therefore, an honest broker — formulated a truce. Israel accepted it, Hamas did not.

Therefore, the continuation of the war is entirely the fault of Hamas. Israel is now engaged in a ground operation, not to conquer Gaza, but to make it impossible for Hamas to terrorise the people of Israel in the future.