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In fact, Palestinians don't initiate attacks. In self-defense, they occasionally respond legally to Israeli aggression. On December 18, Reuters reported a recent incident involving Israeli air strikes killing five Gazans. Israel called them "terror operatives who were preparing to launch rockets toward Israeli territory." They're always freedom fighters or civilians.
On December 21, Al Jazeera headlined, "Israeli fighter jets attack Gaza," saying:
Two Palestinians were wounded according to witnesses. "The overnight raids came after the Israeli army accused Palestinian fighters of firing nine mortar shells into southern Israel, which fell on open ground and caused no deaths."
Seven raids were conducted against Khan Younis and northern Gaza locations, "targeting the Jabailya refugee camp and the towns of Beit Lahya, Beit Hanoun and Zeitoun." No casualties were reported, but often civilians are killed or wounded. A tunnel near Rafah was also attacked, again with no casualties. Israel, in fact, reported that throughout 2010, only around 200 rockets or shells were fired, causing little damage and few casualties.
In contrast, Israel launches regular air and ground attacks, destroying non-military targets, targeting civilians, and causing frequent deaths and injuries, including Gazan farmers, workers and fishermen. In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, homes and communities are assaulted, property destroyed, and civilians attacked, including women and children.
Virtually daily, Israel violates international law with impunity. Western leaders and ICC justices stay silent despite decades of criminal acts. Silence makes them complicit.
Instead, might rules over right. Victims, not aggressors, are blamed, even 1.5 million Gazans suffocating lawlessly under siege since June 2007. They're denied enough food, medicine, electricity, fuel and other essentials to survive.
In mid-2010, Israel cut wheat and animal feed let in by 25%, making conditions more dire. As a result, Gazans' fundamental human rights, dignity, and right to life are compromised. No one cares enough to act, nor in Asia where nuclear war might erupt unless global pressure prevents it.
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