""The report does not spare Hamas from criticism. While chastising Israel for the incidents where it struck without warning or apparent military targets, it notes that, "Many, if not the vast majority of the Palestinian attacks on Israel constituted indiscriminate attacks." Hamas is also criticized for targeting civilians, firing from populated areas and summarily executing alleged Israeli spies.

Israel is not perfect, and some its policies can serve to give even its closest allies pause. But the UNHRC report can, and should, be read as further proof that Israel makes every reasonable effort to wage war against a determined, indiscriminate enemy with precision and restraint.""

While I agree, and have repeatedly said, that Hamas actions are deplorable, I would like to know how they could be blamed for firing from populated areas, when they are confined by Israeli action to one big populated area. Land and water are so scarce there is little that could be called rural in the whole of Gaza.

Alao there is a taint of bias in picking on one or two isolated incidents of friendly fire deaths, and extrapolating to the entirely unjustified conclusion that Israel is innocent of the majority of deaths, or that thy are particularly bothered about Gaza civilians dying at their hands.

Indiscriminate is a rather inappropriate description for the use of unguided munitions, since that is the nature of a basic rocket such as are used by Hamas. If they had the capacity to target more accurately, there might be a case for charging them with indiscriminate use, but when the rocket cannot be guaranteed to hit a village with any certainty, let alone a military target within that village, the charge is nonsense.

Don T.