Hamas asking civilians to stay in ‘war zone’ despite ‘human shield’ remarks
Hamas is calling for civilians to remain even though Israel has warned of a strike Cartoon by Barry Hunau
Even the mainstream press is calling out Hamas for using civilians as human shields in their battle with Israel. On Sunday the terrorist group is calling for civilian refugees to remain in the combat area even thought Israel has warned of the upcoming bombing of the area.
Hamas, continued to fire rockets into Israel throughout the day. It urged people in northern Gaza to stay in their homes and has so far rejected proposals for a cease-fire as unsatisfactory.
“They want us to put down our arms and leave the resistance,” said Moussa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, on his Facebook page. “They started the battle, and we will stay on our land and fight to protect our future.”
“The leadership of Hamas and the other organizations has chosen — at a time when they are using the population of Gaza as human shields — to hide underground, to flee abroad and to deliberately put civilians in the line of fire,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Canada said in a statement Sunday that “The indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel are terrorist acts, for which there is no justification…It is evident that Hamas is deliberately using human shields to further terror in the region.”
Despite Israel’s claims, the international community, including many of Israel’s allies, have begun to express concerns about the growing civilian death toll.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry “described his engagement with leaders in the region to help to stop the rocket fire so calm can be restored and civilian casualties prevented, and underscored the United States’ readiness to facilitate a cessation of hostilities,” the State Department said.
“We don’t know when the operation will end,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday. “It might take a long time.” He said the military was prepared “for all possibilities.”
Israel launched the offensive last Tuesday in what it said was a response to heavy rocket fire out of Hamas-controlled Gaza. The military said it has launched more than 1,300 airstrikes, while Palestinian militants have launched more than 800 rockets at Israel. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says 166 people have been killed, including dozens of civilians.
[…] Hamas asking civilians to stay in 'war zone' despite 'human shield' remarks Even the mainstream press is calling out Hamas for using civilians as human shields in their battle with Israel. On Sunday the terrorist group is calling for civilian refugees to remain in the combat area even thought Israel has warned of the upcoming … Read more on The Global Dispatch […]