BEHIND GAZA

Israel's attack on Gaza: Hamas itself has admitted that most of the dead are their own people i.e. terrorists dedicated to Israel's destruction (a fact that will quickly be suppressed by apologists for Hamas everywhere) Caption: My Own. Photo: NY Times

Israel's attack on Gaza did not come out of the blue. If we follow the serious news outlets which provide a full coverage of events, we have the opportunity to view the entire picture.

Here's the New York Times coverage over the past ten days:-

Israel: Palestinian Militants Fire Rockets From Gaza - December 17

As Truce Ends, Israeli Airstrike Kills One in Gaza - December 20

Israel: 3 Militants Killed in Gaza - December 24

Gaza Rocket Fire Intensifies - December 25

Israel Issues an Appeal to Palestinians in Gaza - December 26

Israeli Gaza Strike Kills More Than 200 - December 27

"Most of those killed were Hamas police officers and security men, including two senior commanders, according to Palestinian officials."

A reminder that it was Hamas police officers and security men who flung their Fatah opponents off the roofs of high rise buildings and performed other horrors on their felow Palestinians when the radical Islamist group took control of Gaza in 2007. This is what happens inside a Hamas meeting and this is how Hamas looks after its children.

Meanwhile, here in Australia, the coverage has been far from satisfactory. One of our newspapers even ran a story about the prospects for peace a few days ago and Hamas didn't rate a mention. They must think their readers, like mushrooms, should be kept in the dark.

FOOTNOTE: The Sunday Age story this morning (Scores killed as Israel pounds Gaza) confirms that Israel had only hit Hamas targets, including command structures and rocket-manufacturing installations and that "the majority of the victims appeared to be members of Hamas, branded a terror group by Israel and the West." Israel's Channel 2 also reported that the strikes were aimed at the Hamas leadership, infrastructure, and logistics and that much of the deaths resulted from secondary explosions due to many of the targets (including those near civilian areas) having been stocked with ammunition and rockets most of which was recently smuggled into Gaza, often in tunnels which news reports were suggesting were also being used to bring food into Gaza.

I predict here and now that, in the coming days, the letters editors of certain newspapers in this country will permit the publication of blood libels suggesting that Israel deliberately targetted innocent women and children.