Hamas is not a Terrorist Organization - It is a Government of Terror

In accordance with comments by General (res.) Giora Eiland, it may be important to point out that Hamas constitutes the governing body, albeit a terror government, in Gaza. Israel should fully recognize this fact. That implies what is instrumentally obvious, that Hamas carries full responsability for governing, for administration, and for the welfare of its population.

As a state-entity, the governing body, Hamas, is free to make its choices, including channeling its resources to warfare rather than caring for its population. Hamas cannot have a Prime Minister and at the same time act as a terrorist ‘NGO’. It has constituted a terrorist state, which carries the entire responsibility for this war, and should be tried for its crimes of war.

The indiscriminate firing of rockets at a civilian population, the building of 32-64 elaborate and advanced attack tunnels, exploiting hospitals as command centers, using mosques, private homes, schools and hospitals, including locations provided by the UN, to store weapons, fire rockets, and as shafts for attack tunnels, is under full responsibility of the Gaza government.

No doubt, the civilian Palestinian population in Gaza suffers and pays a horrendous human price, which has to be accounted for. Many have become temporary refugees – a term, strangely, not applied to the 85% in some Israeli population centers near the border who have, as well, been forced to leave their homes.

There is one addressee – the Gaza government that initiated this war, that has fired thousands of rockets at civilians, that prepared for attacks (at the coming Jewish New Year) that might have cost the lives of hundreds of civilians or more.

The potential of killed by the 2,500 rockets or more is enormous. While principally the Gaza government should pay compensation, the world would be better served if the Gaza government is handed over to the Palestinian authority, if Gaza’s demilitarization be ensured by international forces, if the UN, rather than be complacent in crimes of war, will oversee the implementation of a Marshal plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has condemned Israel for not supplying Hamas with the Iron Dome defense. She should condemn the Hamas for its intent and efforts at implementing the destruction of Israel. If the Gaza government would lay down arms, fire no rockets, there would be no need for an Iron Dome.