thank you, good article, finally someone to state that most of the missiles first came from israel.
there is a very lot to say about this being bibi's way to act against palestinean unity, but i keep in mind bibi escalated the occupation of west bank territory every time he did not get what he want.
it appears possible this genocidal bombardment was anyhow in the making.

Good article. It's nice to hear the other side of the story. Israel systematically lies continuously about the Palestinians.

"Right". "Systematically lies". The STATED CHARTER goal of Hamas is the destruction of Israel --- and to
achieve this goal they have stockpiled thousands of missiles to bombard
3.5m Israeli civilians. In the middle of nowhere they murder 3 teenagers, then launch hundreds of rockets on our major cities every day. Mr. "Leeoates": try imagining living with air raid sirens and missiles falling in your city center by the hundreds!

Imagine living in a place where an epileptic can be shot three times for trying to pray or where a bomb can kill and wound an entire family eating dinner based on the claim that a Bad Guy was living next door.

Or where hundreds of people can be detained in the search for three teenagers based solely on the word of leaders that 'they took them' and not on any evidence which the public is shown. Or where suspicion of a crime is enough to have a family's home demolished. As much as Hamas has done terrible things, Netanyahu has ordered terrible things on a larger scale in return.

From those 3 kids to the dozens killed in the search for them, it is the innocent whose blood is shed so that one side can claim to be right. Pretending either Hamas or the Netanyahu administration is Good and the other is Bad is not going to help end the conflict or the recrimination.

It only exposes bias and, in your case, a sense of privilege.

Who tells you these stories, Angelo??? Israel is a liberal country among savages. When there was a case of a crime against an Arab, the whole country was upset and the police found the perpetrators and are bringing them to justice. Meanwhile, you blur the basic facts of what even starts up our need to take action: 3 kids kidnapped and murdered for NO reason. Miss Dadon murdered. Hundreds of missiles deliberately fired on millions of civilians. And all this from a Gaza that we completely left in 2005! Why then does Hamas do it? Their charter STATES simply and to the point that they are committed to the destruction of Israel! Do you really think you can gloss over this murderous fanatical "religious" extremism, that openly calls for using their OWN people as shields? We drop leaflets and make phone calls warning civilians of a necessary action to be taken on MILITARY sites and terrorists ALONE so they can leave the area safely! --- while Hamas without warning AIMS to SLAUGHTER thousands of civilian "people eating dinner at home" as you quaintly say to promote your falsehoods! They actually believe that the merciful G-d wants them to conquer the whole world violently for "his" glory? This is what we call a "chillul Hashem" a disgracing of G-d's name. Will people come closer to their Creator or get further away when they see this self-centered ego-driven savagery masquerading as faith in G-d. If you believe in G-d and morality, then at least STOP USING LIES and degrading true faith in the caring kindly G-d - which mankind so urgently needs.

B Zion ? Well that explains the whole tone and rhetoric of your little homily and your G-d (sic) that you somehow seem to think will prove some legitimacy to Israeli actions.

Israel is a disgrace.It is systematically murdering women,children and other civilians while destroying families.You can dress these basic facts however you like to whomever you like but it doesn't change the fact that there are almost 200 Palestinians murdered.
You want facts ?
Israel was given that land which was originally part of Syria by the UK post second world war and is continually funded with billions of munitions by the USA and is continually within the diplomatic umbrella of the US.
Face it,Israel has made itself an embarrassment to other nations on the planet as they were allowed to form from the death of one racial/cultural persecution only to embark on one themselves.
Israel is a disgrace to human rights and also to creating its own international agenda while continually ignoring protests and complaints from the very countries that supplanted them in that land.
Are you going to dispute these facts ?
You can contextualise them all you want but that's what forms the seed and spine of a nation that appears to revel in the disgrace of disgust.
Shame on you Israel.

Of course, your brethren in Syria are so civilized...

Why is it that collateral damage in Gaza is genocidal in your mind, while you are perfectly fine with 200,000 dead syrian civilians? With cannibalism of dead syrian soldiers?

I can imagine living like that but I don't have to because we elect not always the best but responsible leaders who look out for their electorate. Unlike Hamas who uses it's own "innocent" civilians as human shields. Don't blame others for your own culture of violence and disregard for your fellow person.

Of course. Another "Yeah, but we're better people and we're just defending ourselves" response. Honestly, I wonder if anyone from the region who are on the internet are even capable of empathy for their neighbours at all.

Zvika Greengold, champion of killing 'innocent' human shields because: reasons! You're part of the problem, Zvika. You can't see it, now. You probably cannot ever be convinced of that, I imagine, because you are too busy being "right" and "better" and rationalizing the bombing of children with little more than "They started it!"

But you are still part of the problem.

How can you say that without some some empathy your self? Do you honestly believe Israel wants to just come down to Gaza to kill someone for no reason at all? It would seem at some point PEACE would enter into the equation. And yes peace is not free its earned, but with all the revenge involved who can have peace? At some point you should ask your leaders what is wrong with peace? Why is it that the destruction of Israel is more important than peace with Israel or visa verse? Children and innocent non caring people get killed in any conflict, so what is so important in the conflict that these children should be killed? My birth place, my religion, my home, my what? Why after 50 years of on and off conflicts is more important than the lively hood of my children? Is Hamas helping or hurting you children, would Israel just come down to Gaza to kill your children without provocation if there was peace? Would the rest of the world sit around scratching their heads wondering what, or how, or why these senseless killings continue because some group of nuts have a grudge? It is stupid!

I don't honestly believe 'Israel' is a single homogenous entity with singular wants and needs. I believe it is a nation of people with various opinions on the situation being ruled by a government which operates with its singular purpose.

There is a difference, you know?

To suggest that my opinion lacks empathy and is stupid is indicative of someone who hasn't actually taken the time to consider what I've written here and in other comments on this page.

To decide that my disdain at the disproportionate nature of Israel's response means I have no sympathy for the every day Israeli is in the very least obnoxious. You are conflating several notions and twisting them into something new just so you can point your finger and scream: "You're wrong!"

So, have fun bashing that straw man if it makes you feel better. When you're ready to have an actual conversation, let me know.

(EDIT - Please note, since I feel I have to clarify everything for you, I put Israel in quotations to refer to your use of it as a single entity without internal disparate opinions, not to question its legitimacy.)

Angelo, how much empathy would you have if you had millions trying to kill you? Of course it is terrible that innocent children are caught in all this on both sides. It's not about being "right" or "better" it's about Israel's survival. If Hamas would only except Israel's right to exist then Gaza will be as quite as the West Bank. I do agree with you that this whole situation is tragic.

"It's not about being "right" or "better" it's about Israel's survival."

Translation: Morals/ethics are unimportant to this debate. Ergo, empathy is unimportant. Ergo, I don't need to feel bad for anything my government or army does.

"If Hamas would only [accept] Israel's right to exist then Gaza will be as [quiet] as the West Bank."

Translation: Everything is THEIR fault.

But, to answer your question, if millions of people were trying to kill me, I would still have empathy for the people who aren't trying to kill me. Just because those violent people are related to the non-combatant, non-violent, non-supportive, non-enabling people who are trying to make enough money to feed their families, does not make it okay for me kill anybody and everybody.

That's the definition of innocent casualties (or collateral damage if you prefer the sanitized military version). That's the objection I raise with Israel's actions. I have no problem with a government defending its electorate. I have no problem engaging in military force in justified security operations. I have no problem with the existence of Israel itself. And I'm not even religious.

However, when I see people happily justifying the killing of innocent people with arguments like, "Yeah, but their government is crappy so it's not our fault and we shouldn't feel bad" it fills me with a great sadness.

Sorry be sad that is the way of war innocents are killed avoid war for any cause

When did Israel declare war? Did I miss the news?

the palestinians agreed to your right to existence although the creation of Israel on their land was illegitimate and immoral. Illegitimate because you dont move into other peoples home because you may have some rights over it because your forefathers were resident them thousands of years ago. immoral because you perpetrate the same terror that Hitler perpertrated on you, only in slow motion. How did you reward their recognition of your right. by bombing Yasser Arafat to a hole. Not recognizing your illegal land grab is the only moral and dignified things that Hamas and the Gazans can do. They are heros and you are cowards who only kill by remote controls. Remember what the Hezbollah did to you when you invaded them (and Yes i remember what you did to them- the wholesale destruction of almost the whole of Lebanon). Br Zivka , EVERYBODY has a right to exist, not only the Jews. The world belongs to all of us and not only the Americans. Every Palestinian life is as important as a Jewish life. When you learn this message and act according to it you will have peace. Golda Meir denied even the existence of the Palestinians. We believe you have a right to exist but not on our land, and if you want to behave yourselves.

Yes, revenge is always the only answer for some people, what wrong with PEACE?

Because when your friends and family are dying around you, while peace and rational thinking are certainly preferable goals, humans are subject to emotion. Furthermore, in my peaceful, First World country, I may think they should find a better way but I have not grown up in their environment.

History has shown that when blood is spilled, a percentage of that population will respond with vengeance in their hearts. Whether they say it plainly or wrap it up in a flag, the same has held true in every country of the world in recorded history.

There is nothing wrong with peace. There is, however, something not right about judging people to be of inferior mettle simply because you feel they should rise above an awful situation.

Pouring gasoline down the throat of a 16 year old and set him on fire is savagery to the nth degree. Don't even talk about Israel being a victim. Israel is a country full of savages otherwise they would not elect this mad dog Nothinyahoo as their president. Their MK just stated that they had to kill all Palestinian mothers so that "snakes"are not born. And you call this civilized?

there was never a people or nation called palestine before the Romans renamed Israel, palestine. I challange you to show me on a pre roman map, this palestine you say belongs to the arabs.

I think it was a good article. Is the first time for me to read on Aljazeera, that the Israhellis displaced the Pals, into Gaza. Thank You.

Really??? In what way has this article contributed to improving the situation??? All I see is the childish jutification "but he started it". If you want to change the situation you need new ideas. If you keep on doing and saying the same old things you have been sayin and doing the last 50 years, can you reasonably expect change???

But does the article improve your understanding of the situation re the present assault on Gaza?
Anyway, what would you suggest if you were in his shoes?

What I would not do if I was in his shoes is encourage the Palestinians to repeat the behaviour that has led to them being murderd and robbed for the past 60 years. Righteousness will not protect you. You point out the fact that your enemy has all the military advantages and has no regard for your rights, any rules of conflict or broader public opinion..........then you continue to attack them???? Were I in his shoes I would advise my people to abandon the armed struggle because it only gives your enemy a means of justifying his their crimes against you.

When you read the zio trolls and idf cyber commentators you realize the importance of speaking the truth.
There were people here writing that palestinians are "invented people" or that palestinians have killed "10000 israelis" or that the burned alive kid was killed "by his family because he was gay".
So IT IS important to show the reality. You can´t elaborate an strategy if you don´t even know what the reality is.

But if you think Zionism is anything more than part of the smoke and mirrors that is being used to rob the peoples of the region.......I would argue that you are still missing the point. This is about theft. All of those profiting from the situation are cooperating...........no matter what the say about each other or even if they have fought inconclusive wars.

The reality is that the arabs will not acknowledge Israel and are committed to wiping her of the face of the earth. and they do it by hiding behind women and children and perpetuating the myth that they are an ancient people. They are arabs, not palestinians. Israel was renamed palestine in 135 A.D.

If you read posts from phony "native americans" who have never been to israel, you might actually start to believe the myth about ethnic cleansing, apartheid, occupation, and etc.

It's no myth and the world is becoming aware of the actions of a brutal apartheid Israeli state.

Israel is not apartheid as it is THEIR country and their rules and anyone else wanting to live there abides by that.

Hahahah you sound like a white South African

Earth to Lee, come in Lee.

wake up you fool.

C'mon Lee. Tell us how many times you've been to Israel.

The numbers show different. Economically and politically it´s an apartheid state.
That, by no means, indicate that there aren´t good and decent jewish people, but they aren´t in the government.

Like to see these numbers you speak of politically and economically .... Cause it boggles me that a Muslim Druze, Majalli Wahabi, can be president of Israel and at the same time be an apartheid state.

Forget about making Palestinians as president of Israel---------just stop sucking blood their children

Same goes for the Palestinians. The people of Gaza are suffering because Hamas doesn't exist without trying to kill Israeli civilians, even if these killings only increase the suffering and reduce the chances of anyone living peacefully.

That is true only in part. Remember how hamas got into power. It had to do with the despise from the israel goverment to the agreements they had with Fatah.
Apparently they haven´t learned the lesson, when you eliminate the moderate, the violent emerge. As in Al qaeda and isis. If you eliminate hamas, something worse will emerge.

Please tell me which government has "good people" in it.

The Syrian? The Egyptian? The English? The Chinese? The Russian? All rotten to the core.

Leonardo - I think you are being disingenuous here. The first role of government is to protect its citizens Israel's government is focused on that objective. All of their actions have either been defensive in nature (building the wall, checkpoints) or retaliatory in response to a terrorist act. The Arabs repeatedly and continuously taunt Israel with bellicose remarks, hate speech, rockets, suicide bombers, etc. these are not the actions that could even remotely be part of any sort of peace process.

1) yes, that is supposed the main goal.
2) Israel principal focus is to steal land, its part of their functions, you can see the videos here in Aj
3) yes palestine government isn´t up to the challenge.
4) israel is to blame (in part and a huge part)
5) remember that suicide bombs, taunts, hate speeches, killing civilians, etc, started with irgun. And the message the world is sending, and specially israel is: If you get something by force and terrorism you can keep it.
6) the other message that people like you are sending to the people of the region is "we don´t care about you and consider you inferior and worthless". So when the palestinian-syrian-lebaneese-etc version of isis emerge, remember that people like you were the ones that created it.

Leonardo - That is certainly not my message. You've badly misinterpreted my message. I'll spell it out for you here and now:

"We are saddened to see people being led astray by bad leadership (e.g. Hamas, Yasser Arafat, ISIS, etc). We think your religious leadership is part of the problem. We know that belligerence and hostility won't lead to any sort of solution."

Hardly. In 1948, Israel was approximately half of the land area that is Israel and Palestine. It is now about 80%. Getting as much of Palestine as possible has always been the core business of the Zionist project. The wall and the checkpoints are not about defence, they are about occupation. The ongoing respective death tolls give the lie to the claim that all Israel does is a response to terrorism, taunts etc. The IDF is an occupying army. International law entitles the occupied to resist by any means necessary. This does not change when the occupiers are Israelis.

so Jack Armstrong. If you weren't at Auschwitz you can't say it happened.

Some American generals and journalists actually took photos and documented the killing houses at Auschwitz. Piles of dead. Haven't you seen them, Tonto?

In Auschwitz, there was no killing.---there were no gas chambers.

Piles of dead cops were everywhere in WW2.....in Russia, in Germany, in Austria.

Those photos could be of any place.....it could be piles of dead Germans.

After all ABC news agency falsely attributes the dead of Gaza as dead Israelis

When did they let you out of your cage LyingFaart?

he's just like you .

Quick. Call the guys with the straight jacket and get this Lion Heart guy into the asylum ASAP before he hurts himself.