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May 02, 2008
Hamas's Human Shields
According to various reports, Hamas has been sending some of its members for military training in Iran. One such report, in the New York Times last year, noted that
Israel is watching as Hamas, in control of Gaza, is building an army there on the model of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, said the deputy chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, in a wide-ranging interview conducted 10 days ago at his office in Tel Aviv. He said Hamas was constructing positions and fortifications, building tunnels for fighting and smuggling in explosives, antitank weapons and more sophisticated rockets through the Egyptian desert.
But Hamas's emulation of the Hezbollah model seems to extend beyond just fortifications and weaponry. Like the Lebanese terror organization, Hamas is cynically using its constituents' lives and property as a shield for the group's militant activity.
The Palestinian Fatah website describes (via Ma'ariv and IMRA) how one family's apartment turned into a base of operations by Hamas. Beit Hanun resident Abu Rajah is quoted saying
Scores of masked men rushed to the area. Most of them carried large bags full of weapons. They invaded our apartment buildings and demanded that the resident leave. In response the women asked the gunmen to distance themselves from the buildings and children. The atmosphere became tense and some of the residents were beaten by the gunmen, who were mostly from Hamas. In the end most of the residents left the buildings. We left the buildings in their hands. They brought sandbags into our bedrooms and living room. They set up heavy machine guns in the windows and planted large explosive devices in the sidewalks.
For examples of Hezbollah behaving the same way during its war with Israel, click here.
Posted by GI at May 2, 2008 11:31 AM
Comments
The leadership in Gaza should keep in mind that Israel was restrained in its response in the First Hezbollah War out of a desire not to undermine the Lebanese government. There is no such consideration in Gaza.
The leadership in Gaza should also keep in mind this difference if it is considering blowing up sections of the border fence next week and having thousands of people surge through.
Posted by: Mickey at May 2, 2008 01:08 PM
The general public, world governments, agencies, NGOs and media must be made more aware of the despicable Hamas and Hezbollah routine terrorist strategy of using civilian human shields through which they aim to undermine the IDF's ability to retaliate against their terrorist attacks. The human shields must be considered as complicit with the terrorists and unfortunately it is to be expected that they will suffer similar casualties as the terrorists.
Posted by: Gary at May 9, 2008 09:37 PM
I heard there was technology to detect tunneling. It would be interesting to know if that technology is in fact available and being used.
Posted by: Henry at May 11, 2008 02:13 AM
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