Nearly 300 Gaza residents died when Israeli forces freed four hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and others. Among others, three men and a woman were all taken during a music festival not far from the Gaza border. More than 1,200 people, most of them Israelis, were murdered, including children. Some of the women were gang raped and then murdered.
The war has been going on since then. And while Israel is not blameless in the high death toll of Gaza civilians, Hamas must claim at least an equal share of the blame for embedding its terrorist infrastructure among civilians and in such places as schools, clinics, and hospitals.
As for the death toll from Saturday’s raid, Hamas bears almost, if not the total, blame for that.
According to credible news reports, such as The New York Times and the Washington Post, Israeli soldiers found the female hostage and got her out, while in another nearby apartment more Israeli soldiers found the three men.
Unfortunately, there was gunfire, and as that group was trying to leave the area, Hamas fighters attacked. Their weapons included RPGs, rocket-propelled grenades. To protect the soldiers and newly freed hostages, the Israelis protected their withdrawal with aircraft strikes and artillery.
All this happened in a densely populated area.
Hamas knew many civilians, including women and children, were in the area. They knew the Israelis would hit the area with overwhelming force.
Yet, Hamas attacked anyway.
I guess, for them, killing a Jew was more important than protecting the civilians they are supposed to be safeguarding.
Or from Hamas, are innocent deaths more important for propaganda purposes than saving lives?
For more, go to williamblocher.com.
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