A remarkably brief article on the front page of Friday's NY Times (January 9) by Taghreed El-Khodary, entitled, "In a Hospital, Pain, Despair and Defiance," tells of horrific conditions in Shifa Hospital in Gaza. A 37 year old surgeon has arrived with his daughter as patients, his wife and baby son having been killed by an Israeli response to Hamas's firing of mortar and rockets next to his apartment building. A smiling 21 year old Islamic Jihad fighter demands immediate attention to the shrapnel in his leg so that he can get back to the fight, despite the obvious presence of far more seriously wounded patients. He gladly admits that after firing on the Israelis, he and his comrades run into people's houses for safety. Asked by the reporter why he is so happy amidst the misery, he declares, "They lost their loved ones as martyrs. They should be happy. I want to be a martyr, too."
Friday's lead story is not this, but another, entitled "Aid Groups Rebuke Israel Over Conditions in Gaza."
Today's NY Times has a front page story by Steven Erlanger entitled "A Gaza War Full of Traps and Trickery," subtitled "Ruthless and Inventive, Tactics Evolve Fast." Unclear whether they're talking about the Israelis, Hamas, or both. Once you read the article you see that the traps, ruthlessness and most of the tricks are practiced by Hamas, "with training from Iran and Hazbollah." "Weapons are hidden in mosques, schoolyards and civilian houses, and the leadership's war room is a bunker beneath Gaza's largest hospital, Israeli intelligence officials say."
Israel is trying some trickery, too. It is calling Gaza residents and in good Arabic, asking about militant activity nearby. Also, in response to a Hamas technique of putting civilians on the roofs of military buildings to dissuade Israelis from attacking, Israel sometimes launches dud missiles on empty spots on the roof in order to scare the civilians away. Very sneaky, those Israelis, trying to trick noncombatants into escaping harm. This, of course, is after leaflets, e-mails and text messages warning residents to evacuate anticipated battle zones.
Israeli efforts to avoid civilian casualties are imperfect and strongly regretted. Efforts by Hamas and allied terrorist groups to kill and maim Israeli civilians are also regretted for their imperfection.
