It’s not about the numbers
Initially, I was going to write about the numbers being put about by the world media, some of which are just repetitions of those provided by Hamas. Then I spoke with a friend in Israel and he pointed me in a different direction.
He explained that it is not about the statistics, either the 1,400 Israelis murdered, the 240 abducted or whatever number Hamas claims represents the Gazan civilian death toll.
It is about how Hamas sent their people in to Israel to kill, mutilate, rape and kidnap. Hamas runs Gaza independently and to that end is a de-facto Government. In that role it committed an act of war against Israel, as well as war crimes by the murder of civilians, kidnapping and deportation.
Prior to Israel moving into Gaza they made their intentions very clear, advising civilians to leave the northern area of the strip. We know that Hamas have been trying hard to make them stay since it suits their purpose for civilians to be killed. We also now know that about 80% of the buildings in the area where Israeli forces are operating have been booby trapped, used as a base for tunnels or attacks against the IDF.
For Hamas, this is a war which has been some time in the planning. Only when they thought the time was right did they press ahead with the deadly attack on the 7th October.
There is little doubt that the Hamas leadership were well aware of how Israel might respond which is why they have been so keen to talk up the numbers of civilian deaths and persuade their supporters to call for a ceasefire. I have said before that a call for a ceasefire is a vote for Hamas and the actions of their supporters at the rallies in the UK in London and around the country just reinforce that. It is no secret that Hamas will use a ceasefire to re-group and re-arm in order to continue with their objective, which is a holy war with the stated intention of killing Jews and destroying Israel. Incidentally there was a ceasefire prior to the 6th October and it was Hamas who breached this so calls for a another one ring very hollow.
There was no ceasefire after Pearl Harbour in 1941, nor following the Normandy Landings in 1944. Why should there have been? Millions of Germans died in that war, compared to a ‘mere’ several hundred thousand Britons, yet the history books are not full of references to these numbers.
These circumstances are different because it is Israel defending itself and for Israel, special rules apply, or at least that is what Jew-haters say. The calls for a ceasefire have a very specific aim in mind, which is to prevent the IDF from clearing out Hamas from Gaza. It is not about the civilians caught in the crossfire, nor is it about fuel which Hamas routinely steals. It is about protecting Hamas from annihilation so they can continue to kill Jews and try and destroy Israel.
There is no middle way. Hamas poses a threat not only to the Jews and Israel, but to the West as well. Reports have been of hate speeches being made in mosques in various cities the UK. This is no coincidence. It is about numbers of people around the world, and in the UK who have no interest in democracy, or proper liberal values. They wish to see the destruction of the West and for them the starting point is Israel and the Jews.
It is imperative that Israel completes its task of driving Hamas out of Gaza. In doing so Israel tries to conduct the war by the rules of the Geneva Convention, whilst their enemy doesn’t know what that is. It is as simple and as significant as that, and the numbers really pay no part in this.