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Hamas Is Playing a Dangerous Game with Gazan Lives
(Washington Post) Editorial - So far Hamas' military campaign against Israel has been a dismal failure. Some 1,200 rockets fired at Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities have caused only one Israeli death and a few other casualties. Attempted commando attacks via the sea and a tunnel were stopped short, and a drone that ventured into Israel was quickly shot down. Yet Hamas on Tuesday rejected an Egyptian cease-fire proposal that was supported by Western governments and the Arab League and had been accepted by Israel. The cease-fire proposal was answered with a new barrage of missiles aimed at central Israel. 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 concessions by perpetuating the killing of its own people in Israeli counterattacks. Hamas probably calculates that more deaths will prompt Western governments to pressure Israel to grant Hamas' demands. The right response of the international community is not to surrender to Hamas' despicable tactics but to continue insisting that it unconditionally accept the cease-fire proposed by Egypt.