(Gatestone Institute) Con Coughlin - If Western politicians and aid agencies want to apportion blame for the high death tolls in the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, then they need look no further than the Iranian-backed terror groups cynically risking the lives of innocent civilians to achieve their diabolical agenda. Whether it is using schools and hospitals that are supposed to be afforded immunity in conflict under international law, or simply using Palestinian civilians as human shields, Hamas terrorists have consistently jeopardized the well-being of those they purport to defend. It is a similar picture in Lebanon, where Hizbullah fighters have deliberately located their missile stockpiles and command centers within densely-populated civilian areas. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have implemented a range of measures in both Gaza and Lebanon to avoid civilian casualties - which includes encouraging civilians to leave their homes in advance of military action - Western politicians and aid agencies invariably blame Israel for any civilian casualties, when they should really be blaming the Hamas and Hizbullah terrorists who deliberately put their own people in harm's way in the first place. The writer is defense and foreign affairs editor at the Daily Telegraph-UK.
2024-12-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive