Unlike every time Hamas sent rockets in Israeli territory, the Israeli's, as reported by multiple organizations now, sent Arabic-language cell-phone messages to thousands of Gazans, warning them to leave homes in which Hamas terrorist stashed weapons.
Israel is so scrupulous about civilian life that, risking the element of surprise, it contacts enemy noncombatants in advance to warn them of approaching danger. Hamas, which started this conflict with unrelenting rocket and mortar attacks on unarmed Israelis -- 6,464 launched from Gaza in the past three years -- deliberately places its weapons in and near the homes of its own people.
This has two purposes. First, counting on the moral scrupulousness of Israel, Hamas figures civilian proximity might help protect at least part of its arsenal. Second, knowing that Israelis have new precision weapons that may allow them to attack nonetheless, Hamas hopes that inevitable collateral damage -- or, if it is really fortunate, an errant Israeli bomb -- will kill large numbers of its own people for which, of course, the world will blame Israel.
According to Jerusalem Post, the air strikes continue and a top Hamas leader has been taken out as well as more than a dozen Hamas operatives.
Over 7 years Hamas has been warned to stop sending rockets over, and they have ignored those warnings at every turn.
It is time for Israel to force them to quit and it seems Israel is ready to do so. I get very tired of people trying to defend Hamas and criticize Israel for protecting themselves and it seems Israel has gotten sick and tired of it themselves.
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