'Hamas Chief of Staff May Be Dead'

[tekisui]

Source: JPost

Conflicting reports emerged Sunday regarding the fate of top Hamas military commander Ahmed Ja'abri, who may have been killed in one of the hundreds of Israeli air strikes against Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

Since Operation Cast Lead began on Saturday, the air force has flown over 300 sorties over the Strip, bombing close to 280 different targets. Palestinian and Israeli sources said that Ja'abri, the overall commander of Hamas's armed wing, Izaddin Kassam, may have been killed in an air strike on a mosque which he frequented.

Sources close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip said they could neither confirm nor deny the report. They said that the bodies of many of the victims had yet to be identified and that several bodies were still under the rubbles of demolished buildings.

Defense officials said that at least 50 percent of Hamas's underground rocket launchers had been bombed during the air campaign, as well as a significant number of weapons warehouses. In addition, almost all of the Hamas bases and headquarters in the Gaza Strip were completely destroyed.

On Sunday, IAF aircraft bombed a top Hamas security installation, a mosque, a TV station and dozens of other targets.

But despite the bombings and the relatively low number of Kassam rockets fired into Israel throughout the day - some 30 in comparison to the earlier predictions of over 100 - senior officials said that Hamas was still capable of firing barrages of rockets into Israel.

more: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230456505069&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Statistical]

1. Based on this HAMAS report it looks like IDF was targeting military targets

* top military commanders
* 50%+ of underground rocket launchers
* significant weapon warehouses
* Hamas bases
* Hamas headquarters

Hamas returned fire with only 30 rockets vs expected 100+....

[Vegasaurus]

2. Eliminating the terror infrascructure is imperative

If the tunnels and bomb making warehouses are destroyed, that will be a good thing.
\\\

[ConsAreLiars]

3. Destroying all the F-16's would be even better.

Far fewer murders. But, of course, you believe murdering Palestinians is a good thing.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. And you believe murdering Israelis is a good thing.

Oh wait, is that true or just making shit up?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Hamas basically went to war with Israel and took some serious damage in the 1st round

The fight is not over yet, but its going to be some time before Hamas will be effective again, assuming it survives as the government in Gaza.

Palestinian and Israeli media both agree that the IAF has been targeting Hamas buildings and infrastructure. Under the circumstances, those qualify as legitimate military targets. Yes some civilians have died in the buildings and as collateral damage, but the fact remains they are casualties of war and not murder victims. That distinction will do nothing to comfort their families or help bring peace, but using words like murder, martyrs, and massacre at this point is hyperbole and of no help either.

To me there is shared responsibility between Hamas and Israel for the deaths. Hamas knowingly increased attacks on Israel, including with Grad rockets, understanding full well it would provoke a military response from Israel. They also integrated their facilities including buildings and launch sites within civilian areas. Israel on the other hand destroyed those sites knowing that some civilian casualties were going to occur. The did so knowing that the vast majority of the attacks historically were by mortar and Qassam which though lethal when on target, had not been that effective overall.

Regardless of how responsibility is apportioned. Its not murder.