What does it mean for a Hamas missile to strike nearby?  The person in this video is undoubtedly giving silent thanks for surviving the day.

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The following statement was issued by David Saranga, Consul for Media and Public Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York:

Earlier today, upwards of 35 Palestinian civilians were reportedly killed in two unfortunate accidents in Gaza, one at a school run by UNRWA and the second at an apartment in Gaza City. These deaths are indeed a tragedy, and investigations are underway to ensure that further operations continue to avoid civilian casualties.
These initial investigations indicate that Hamas used the UNRWA school to fire at IDF forces, indicating once again that Hamas is more than willing to sacrifice Gaza citizens to promote terrorism. International law recognizes that the presence of civilians in an area of conflict does not delegitimize a military target. Israel and the IDF will continue to abide by these laws and to make every effort to avoid harming civilians in conducting further operations. We urge the international community to strongly condemn Hamas’s cynical exploitation of its citizens and firing of rockets, which remain the most effective way to ensure peace for Gazans and Israelis alike.

This is not the first time Hamas has used a school as a launching pad for weapons. See this YouTube video for further information.

In addition, Hamas has used other civilian structures to house materiel.  See our previous posts (here and here) on the subject.

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The answer to this question is becoming somewhat clearer with the IDF’s operations in Gaza. The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, keeping tabs on the goings-on on the ground, has put out the following updates on the situation. Since the IDF has found explosives in mosques and private homes, it’s no wonder soldiers have had to operate in these areas.

1. January 1 : During the night the IAF attacked the Al-Khulafa mosque in Jabaliya, which was a focal point of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades’ terrorist activities. It served as an important Hamas operations room where organization meetings were held and from which operatives were dispatched to carry out terrorist attacks against Israel . In addition, it contained a rocket arsenal which included long-range standard Grad rockets. The attack on the mosque was followed by a long series of secondary explosions and burned for a long time, indicating that a large quantity of hidden weapons and ammunition had been stockpiled in it.
2. January 1 : The IAF attacked the house of Nabil Amarin , a senior Hamas military operative who commanded a Hamas battalion in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City . The building contained a large quantity of weapons and ammunition. The attack was followed by large secondary explosions.
3. January 2 : The house of Hamas operative Muhammad Maatouk was attacked in Jabaliya. It had served as a weapons storehouse and also contained a laboratory with a tunnel used by Hamas operatives.
4. January 2 : The house of Muhammad Madhoun was attacked in Gaza City . Madhoun was a prominent Hamas operative and responsible for rocket fire into Israeli territory.
5. January 2 : The house of Imad Akel was attacked in Nusseirat in the central Gaza Strip. He was a senior weapons manufacturer and one of the heads of Hamas’s rocket division. His house served as a weapons storehouse and the attack was followed by a series of secondary explosions.
6. January 2 : A Hamas institute was attacked in Al-Atatra in the northern Gaza Strip. It served as a meeting and hiding place for Hamas operatives and extensive rocket fire had been carried out from the area.
7. January 2 : The IAF attacked the house of Ismail Ghanem in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. It served as a storehouse for weapons and rocket launching equipment. Ghanem is one of the most prominent operatives firing Grads into Israel.
8. January 2 : The IAF attacked the house of Izz al-Din Hadad, a senior Hamas operator in Saja’iya, the northern Gaza Strip. It served as a meeting place and operations center for Hamas operatives.
9. January 2 : The IAF attacked the control tower at the Dahaniya airport in the southern Gaza strip. Beneath it was a tunnel planned to be used to carry out a terrorist attack and abduct an IDF soldier.

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As this video shows, evidently, Hamas does.  Upon entering Gaza, the IDF has found tunnels and stores of weapons in some pretty strange places–many of which are in civilian areas (like the bathroom above).

You can find more videos and footage on YouTube.

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On January 4th, at Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem, over 1,200 people stood in support of Israel.

Bishop Carlton T. Brown, Senior Pastor of the Bethel Gospel Assembly, Inc. in Harlem lead his congregation in a special prayer for the State of Israel and all of the lives affected by the recent events in the region. continue reading…

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In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece today (login required), Alan Dershowitz addresses the concern of ensuring proportionate warfare, or rather what is–and what is not–considered proportionate.  Israel recognizes the necessity to conduct a war morally, a sensitivity Hamas  exploits by placing civilians as human shields in or near potential targets.  Whereas Israel acts to protect its civilian population, Hamas flaunts the laws of war in the face of the international community.

The introductory paragraph for interested parties:

Israel’s actions in Gaza are justified under international law, and Israel should be commended for its self-defense against terrorism. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter reserves to every nation the right to engage in self-defense against armed attacks. The only limitation international law places on a democracy is that its actions must satisfy the principle of proportionality.

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Rockets fired from Gaza today hit Ashdod, severely damaging two floors of an apartment building.  Other missiles today hit Beersheva (again) and Netivot.  A full report in Ynet fills in the details.  As we can see, Hamas is continuing its missile barrage at civilians.

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Enough said:

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This morning, a missile from Gaza hit a kindergarten classroom in Beersheva (the largest city in the Negev). Fortunately, schools were kept closed as a result of the Hamas threat. We don’t want to think about other possibilities. The BBC has a short article and video of the missile strike.

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During yesterday’s Twitter conference, we got a few questions about Hamas. While the answers to the specific questions will be coming shortly, following are selected sections from the charter of Hamas (aka the Islamic Resistance Movement) with some emphasis added. The full document can be found at http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp.

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it. (Preamble, quoting Hassan al-Banna) continue reading…

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