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Hamas' Tactic: Require Israel to Cause Civilian Casualties

(Gatestone Institute) Alan M. Dershowitz - Hamas leaders know that by repeatedly firing rockets at Israeli civilian areas, they will give Israel no choice but to respond. In order to maximize their own civilian casualties, and thereby earn the sympathy of the international community and media, Hamas leaders deliberately fire their rockets from densely populated civilian areas. Hamas refuses to provide any shelter for its own civilians, whom they use as "human shields." This gives Israel a tragic choice: allow Hamas rockets to target Israeli cities and towns, or respond to the rockets, with inevitable civilian casualties among the Palestinian "human shields." Every democracy would choose the latter option if presented with a similar choice. The international community and the media must understand this and blame Hamas. Many commentators fault Israel for causing Palestinian civilian casualties. But what is Israel's option, other than to allow rockets to be aimed at its own women and children? Hamas' cynical tactic - which constitutes a war crime - will guarantee that some Palestinian women and children will be killed.
2012-11-20 00:00:00
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