Hamas repeating old tactics of placing civilians in line of fire

ZIYAAD Ebrahim Patel writes (Cape Argus, December 11) that the responsibility for the conflict in Gaza is Israel’s.

Colonel Richard Kemp, CBE, testified before the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, denying allegations that Israel engaged in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Kemp based his assessment on publicly available information from both sides, press reports and his 30-year experience of counterterrorism operations and planning.

He said: “In this current operation, Hamas is repeating old tactics of placing civilians in the line of fire, and is responsible for their lives.

“At the same time, it deliberately fires missiles at the Israeli civilian population without provocation and with no just cause…

He continues: “I consider myself as having an objective view of what’s happening over there.

“I commanded British troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland, and served with Nato and the UN.

“I have come straight from the Gaza front line to share my assessment.

“The truth is that Hamas, a terrorist organisation that seeks the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews everywhere, deliberately caused more than 60 of its own people to get killed.”

They sent thousands of indoctrinated civilians to the front line as human shields for terrorists trying to break through the border and invade Israel.

Hamas’s goal, in its own words, is “blood in the path of jihad”.

Self-satisfied commentators say Israel should have behaved differently.

To them, I say: how would we respond if a Jihadist terror group sent thousands to flood our borders and gunmen to massacre our communities?

The failure to admit that Hamas is responsible for every drop of blood spilt on the Gaza border encourages their violence and use of human shields.

It makes the world complicit in further bloodshed.

RODNEY MAZINTER Camps Bay