Every Civilian Death a Hamas War Crime

When Israelis kill civilians in Gaza, it’s Hamas that’s committing the war crime, says Alan M. Dershowitz of the LA Times. Hamas delights in using human shields, or duping Israel into returning fire at civilian targets, earning itself international sympathy with each casualty. Hamas has taken to heart the mantra of Hezbollah’s leader: “We are going to win because they love life and we love death.”

“It is difficult to fight an enemy that loves death in a world that loves life,” writes Dershowitz. “The world tends to think emotionally rather than rationally when it is shown dead women and children.” But Hamas has intentionally endangered these people, placing them near military targets. That’s as much a war crime as firing rockets. (More Hamas stories.)