Israeli Shelling Kills 40 (?) In UN School
Bumped: Of Course Hamas Has Fired Rockets from Schools Before

The number cited is 40, but this war, like so many before, is Pallywood production. A "heightened reality" of magic and fantasy.

Although there is a good chance that this was a pure mistake -- such happen in war -- there's also a pretty good chance that Hamas, as usual, is attacking from amidst civilian populations, counting on the enemy's morality to prevent a counterattack.

Eh. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn't. You can avoid this by doing what every decent army does -- stay the hell away from civilians.

Israel Defense Forces tank fire killed up to 40 Palestinians at a United Nations school in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medical sources at two hospitals said.

I take "40" as Hamas' claim, which sets the upper limit for the casualties. The reality, I'm guessing, will turn out to be something like 10.

The attack brought the Palestinian death toll to nearly 600 in Israel's 11-day offensive on the Hamas-ruled coastal territory.

Two tank shells exploded outside the Gaza school, spraying shrapnel on people inside and outside the building, where hundreds of Palestinians had sought refuge from fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants. In addition to the dead, several dozen people were wounded, the officials said.

Medical officials said all the dead were either people sheltering in the school or local residents.

All of them. And you can trust Hamas' medical staff to give you the straight dope. Not a one of them sticking an RPG out a window or anything.

Here's some good stuff:

Also on Tuesday, Israel Air Force warplanes struck a building in Gaza in which the head of Hamas' rocket division was staying. It was not immediately clear whether Ayman Sayam was hit in the attack, which occurred in the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

And now -- terrorism.

"There's nowhere safe in Gaza. Everyone here is terrorized and traumatized," said John Ging, the top UN official in Gaza, blaming the international community for allowing the violence to continue.

I blame the international community for allowing the violence to start. Where was the UN when Hamas was launching rockets into Sderot for a year?

48 Hour Rule: It's not as if Hamas deliberately takes women and children to their hide-outs or anything:

U.N. officials say they provided their location coordinates to Israel's army to ensure that their buildings in Gaza are not targeted. The Israeli army had no comment on the latest strikes, but in the past has accused militants of using schools, mosques and residential neighborhoods to store weapons or launch attacks.

Munitions depot? Terrorist hideout? In any of these events, under the Geneva Convention, Israel has the right to hit the spot. In fact, Israel Radio is reporting that Hamas terrorists have been seen in Gaza dragging children by their ears into hiding places in the hope that the children's presence will prevent the IDF from targeting the terrorists.

No Way! Video shows that Hamas has launched rockets from the sadistic safety of a school before, back in 2007.

posted by Ace at 01:03 PM

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