How Hamas Wins the War — Every Time

The reality of Hamas in Gaza: hospitals, schools, private homes and UN facilities are used as terrorist
 command centers, storage for missiles and weapons, and as launching sites of rockets headed for Israel.
 The BBC, CNN, France 24, and many international media outlets virtually remain silent
concerning these facts – partly because of Hamas threats against the reporters.

By Shira Sorko-Ram

Sgt. O. was seriously wounded on the fourth day of Israel’s ground operation in Gaza. It was in the hospital that this soldier and many others began to describe the horror they had just been through.

On July 17, Israel Defense Forces were sent into Gaza to begin the daunting task of ferreting out the enemy and its weapons hidden among the 1.8 million Gazans.

The particular mission of Sgt. O.’s platoon was exclusively to destroy tunnels. Sgt. O. recounts how his unit entered areas where no civilians were present, apparently having evacuated after receiving constant warnings from the IDF to leave the combat zones. However, in many of the homes the soldiers entered they found large stockpiles of weapons, explosives and booby traps.

THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS A TERRORIST BASE

“It was very difficult to see how in Gaza there is an entire generation being raised on the values of hatred and violence against Israel,” says Sgt. O. “In every house we found magazines, newspapers and other media for anti-Israel propaganda. We even found some documents containing plans to conquer Israel and to build a Palestinian state over all the land of Israel.”

Still worse than the brainwashing was witnessing how Hamas had converted the neighborhood’s civilian buildings into a terrorist infrastructure. “The most worrying thing was the inconceivable amount of weaponry they had in their homes,” he says. “We even found explosives in nurseries. The whole neighborhood was practically a terrorist base.”

HAMAS STEALS FROM THE PEOPLE OF GAZA

“It was shocking to see how ordinary people live in poor conditions in empty houses while Hamas operatives – from those working in the tunnels to senior officials – live in big houses full of luxuries,” Sgt. O. said. “Not to mention all the money Hamas embezzled in constructing tunnels and smuggling weapons.”

Sgt. O. explains how his experience inside Gaza taught him that Hamas has no value for human life. “They do not want peace,” he says. “Hamas terrorists saw an IDF ground operation as an opportunity to kill as many soldiers as possible before dying themselves. Kill and die. That was their mission.”

Sgt. O. was shot by terrorists as his unit was ambushed by a Hamas cell emerging from a tunnel. The Israelis then came under fire from another group of terrorists who fired from the windows of surrounding homes in the neighborhood. Sgt. O.’s entire team was injured in the ambush, and one was killed, but they fought on, destroying a number of terrorist nests during the battle. (www.idfblog.com)

In all, the IDF found and destroyed 32 tunnels, some two kilometers long, estimated to cost the Palestinians one hundred million dollars. One of the several tunnels dug under the border of Israel ended next to a Kibbutz dining room and another at a kindergarten.

The soldiers found a stockpile of weapons equivalent to the armaments of an entire battalion. In another tunnel, detailed plans for a shock invasion of several hundred terrorists who planned to attack Israel through the tunnels this coming Rosh Hashanah. The realization of the strategic danger of these tunnels brought the people of Israel into a unity it has rarely known. The Jewish people understood that all tunnels had to be found and destroyed, and that could be done only by ground troops.

WIN/WIN FOR HAMAS

Many stories are circulating in Israeli media as hospitalized soldiers report what they encountered – Hamas gunmen literally charging at them while holding babies, and young children sent out with guns to attack or even wearing suicide belts, which could be detonated by Hamas operatives’ cell phones.

One parent recounted that terrorists had run at IDF soldiers with a gun in one hand and a baby in the other, apparently in hopes the soldiers would see the child and hold their fire long enough to be killed. If Israeli soldiers did fire, the parent added, the child’s death could be used as propaganda against Israel. The soldiers exclaimed in their pain that they had not been trained to kill children. (www.israelnationalnews.com, 22July2014)

But this news was barely, if ever, reported on BBC, CNN, France 24, MSNBC and other international media programs. They essentially reported the same content as al Jazeera, the TV station owned by Qatar, which, together with Iran, are the top financial patrons of terror in the world.

Night and day, western media flooded the world with wounded Palestinian women and Palestinian crying children. That was 90% of the stories presented on TV, and Internet and newspapers. (The one exception we saw was Fox News.)

One of the big stories in the news for days was the allegation that Israel had bombed a hospital. The hospital was hit, as well as a beach area near by. The Hamas health officer said ten children were killed at Shati Beach. Heads of states were outraged and thousands of European citizens protested in the streets – led by Muslim citizens.

But the IDF published an official statement asserting that it wasn’t Israel at all that had hit the hospital: “A short while ago Al-Shifa hospital was struck by a failed rocket attack launched by Gaza terror organizations. A barrage of three rockets aimed toward Israel, struck the hospital. At the time of the incident there was no Israeli military activity in the area surrounding the hospital whatsoever.”

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman, rubbished the claims as “ridiculous:” “The IDF did not carry out any strikes in that area. Shifa Hospital was not a target, nor was the Shati Beach camp. Both of those locations were struck by terrorist rockets that were launched towards Israel and fell short.”

In fact, more than 400 Hamas and Jihad rockets fell short of Israel, landing and destroying properties throughout Gaza.

Of course, Hamas strongly denied it was responsible for the strike: “The story being put forth by the “Occupation” that resistance rockets fell in Shifa Hospital and at the Children’s Park in the Al-Shati Refugee camp is a failed attempt to escape from this crime and its fears that this crime will be exposed and held judicially accountable,” said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

He added, “Israeli shrapnel has been collected as evidence from these scenes.”

News Networks and media reported Hamas’ “information.” It was sometime later that newscasters, after they had left Gaza, reported the truth.

Italian journalist Gabriele Barbati tweeted, “Out of Gaza far from Hamas retaliation: Misfired rocket killed children in Shati.”

Barbati then confirmed that it was not an Israeli rocket that misfired in Shati killing children near a Gaza hospital: “@IDFSpokesperson said truth in communiqué released yesterday about Shati camp massacre. It was not Israel behind it.”

But with the BBC and virtually all the networks presenting hour by hour, 24 hours a day, wounded children and repeating Hamas’ count of “dead citizens, mostly women and children,” the damage to Israel was done.

DOESN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I could give you dozens of such examples, but I am convinced that it wouldn’t make any difference at all.

Yes, Hamas uses human shields as core deterrent against Israel , including at times journalists who tried to leave Gaza.

Yes, Israel uses the most sophisticated technology and methods to avoid civilian casualties – telephoning people in neighborhoods about to be struck because of the terrorist tunnel exits, ammunition and command centers known to be in their buildings.

Yes, Israel sends automated messages on the phone, sends SMS’s and drops leaflets in the neighborhoods.

Yes, it is true that Hamas demands people stay in their homes which are to be targeted – martyrs make great media coverage, especially if they are women and children.

Yes, Hamas continually launches rockets from homes, hospitals and schools.

Yes, Hamas stored ammunition discovered in three UN buildings. In one case, when the missiles were found, the UN official ordered Hamas to take them away.

Yes, Hamas refuses to let journalists photograph even one Hamas operative – only women and children and old men.

Yes, it is true that the reason Israel will not freely open the crossings into Israel and give Hamas a port and an airport, is so that the terrorist organization will not have access to “duty-free” weapons and war materials.

Yes, it is true for anyone who cares to take a minute to google “Hamas Covenant” he or she will find that the sole reason that Hamas exists is to destroy the “Nazi Zionist enemy.”

Yes, it is true that thousands of Israeli children are suffering trauma from 11,000 rockets exploding in Israel over the last 10 years.

Yes, the leaders of Hamas use hospitals and schools as their command centers among thousands of civilians.

Yes, it is true that when asked, the New York Times explained it doesn’t ever show pictures of Hamas operatives because it simply doesn’t have any.

Besides, what they do so well is start their articles like the one today on their front page: “Tiny sandals are scattered on the doormat of a lawyer’s office above downtown Gaza City’s main street: The tiny feet belong to the children who are living in a temporary dental laboratory,” etc., etc., etc. (International New York Times, 19Aug2014)

No explanation whatsoever why these children were displaced…

But why repeat all these facts – that journalists in Gaza know, that the BBC knows, that the New York Times knows, that MSNBC knows, and all the major media outlets know. I have come to the conclusion that the truth no longer matters to them.

In an age of “everything is relative” reporters knew what they were to report before they ever arrived in Gaza. They arrived in the war zone with the fundamental belief that Israel is an illegal, illegitimate malignancy occupying – as Hamas and Muslims everywhere say – the historic land of Palestine which belongs exclusively to the Arab people.

That is why the United Nations Security Council condemned Israel’s right to defend herself. Out of 47 votes, only the United States rejected the resolution. European nations “abstained!” Whatever.

That is why William Schabas has been selected to open up a UN tribunal to investigate war crimes – of guess who? ISIS? Taliban? al-Qaida? Hezbollah? Are you serious? No, it is a tribunal to investigate the war crimes of Israel.

The man select by the UNHRC to be the leading judge is William Schabas – selected because he is one of the most blatant antiSemites they could find. He has publicly said that if he could pick someone to prosecute for war crimes, his first pick would be Benjamin Netanyahu.

But let us end on a light note. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called for an investigation of war crimes committed by Israel. One of the reasons, she said, is that Israel had not shared their Iron Dome missile system with Hamas. Yes, in what may be one of the most ridiculous accusations yet against Israel, the Jewish nation was “deliberately defying International Law” as could be seen by Israel’s refusal to share its Iron Dome ballistic missile defense shield with the “governing authority” of Gaza. (www.israelnationalnews.com 8Aug2014)

So by now, I’m sure you get it. There is no reasonable moral cause for the nations of the world coming against Israel. Who wants to support terrorists? Democratic nations or even the UN don’t back most other terrorist organizations like ISIS and the Taliban. So why Israel? Only Israel?

The Bible says it all. The world is coming against Israel because the god of this world is directing world events. Only born-again, Bible-believing Jews and Christians understand the purpose of Israel’s existence – to usher in the Messiah of the World who will come first to the Mount of Olives in the Jewish city of Jerusalem.

Our job together as believers is to bring deliverance to the people of Israel – and to the Arabs. Only Messiah Yeshua will ever bring an end to this conflict. Yes, it is when the people of the world have an opportunity to know the loving God of Israel, multitudes will choose abundant life and Life Everlasting. Let’s double our efforts.

Hamas firing rockets inside a building

OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE
 BY THE NUMBERS

The IDF initiated Operation Protective Edge to put an end to the terror attacks emanating from Gaza. In the three weeks leading up to July 8, terrorists fired 250 rockets capable of reaching Israel’s largest population centers and endangering 3.5 million Israeli lives. More than half a million Israelis had less than 60 seconds to find shelter after hearing a rocket siren. Tens of thousands had only 15 seconds.

THE ROCKET THREAT

The IDF initiated Operation Protective Edge in response to incessant, indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza directed at Israeli civilians.

Between July 8 and August 6:

Terrorists in Gaza fired 3,360 rockets at Israel.
 2,303 rockets hit Israel.
 115 rockets hit populated areas in Israel.
 584 rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome [at a cost of $50,000 each].
 475 rockets landed within the Gaza Strip [causing extensive damage].
 119 rocket launches failed.

Before the operation, IDF intelligence assessed that terrorists in Gaza held approximately 10,000 rockets. 1/3 of these rockets were fired at Israel, and an additional 1/3 were destroyed by IDF forces.

THE TUNNEL THREAT

On July 17, IDF ground troops were moved into Gaza to locate and destroy the underground tunnel network used by Hamas to infiltrate and attack Israel.

Between July 17 and August 5:

IDF forces neutralized 32 terror tunnels.
14 of these tunnels crossed into Israel.
2 tunnels had access points located 300m-500m from Israel.

HAMAS EXPLOITED CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE

Hamas abuses the civilians and civilian infrastructure of Gaza for terrorist purposes. These abuses constitute severe violations of international law.

Between July 8 and August 5:

Terrorists fired 597 rockets from civilian facilities in Gaza. 
Approximately 260 rockets were fired from schools.
 Approximately 160 rockets were fired from religious sites, including mosques.
 Approximately 127 rockets were fired from cemeteries. 
Approximately 50 rockets were fired from hospitals.

(www.IDFBlog.com)