Gaza casualty toll

Ah i understand Hamas hid behind women and children, again, today from the united nations school building and opened fire on israeli troopers.....and again the result was tragic Hamas is a criminal and cowardly ganfg of punks who must be destroyed.

To a professional soldier the civilian/combatant kill ration achieved by the IDF is seriously impressive. Most operations, including most of our own have more civilians killed than soldiers. Historically, that has been the norm since the 1880s. Especially in the early phases of the operation Israel was killing one civilian for every 5 or 6 militants, that is amazingly good historically. Recently it has dropped to 1 civ for every 3 militants, that is still MUCH better than we did in Iraq or for that matter in France during WWII.

If you want to avoid civilian casualties, don't station military targets inside built up areas. You can find dozens of pictures of rockets being fired from inside urban areas. That makes that area a legitimate military target.

I wish that journalists and pundits would take a moment to understand military law instead of just assuming that civilian casualties is per se a violation of military law.

Cut Israel some slack will ya, they're defending themselves, do you have any idea, how much the jews and Israel have suffered, let's start with 6 million deaths in the holocaust.
The U.S had more civilian casualties, in the war against Irak and Afghanistan, and they did it just for oil.
Hamas has to be destroyed, they want their people killed, the U.S went after a terrorist organization similar to Hamas, because 9/11, they've been more Israelis casualties than those in 9/11 and when they wanto to defend themselves, they get blamed

Since Israel is banning reporters from Gaza, we'll have to take their word for it that Hamas is 'hding'; behind civilians. At least that's what Israel says. Regardless, nothing justifies this type of slaughter. This is a canned hunt in the world's largest prison camp. Israel should be ashamed, and should be cut off from the US Gravy Train until they demonstrate they want peace. Instead they are doing what they claim Hamas wants-- the utter destruction of 'the enemy.'

My what a bunch of brainwashed commentary you get on this subject - to be expected when citizens only get one side of this miserable conflict. The American Jews' influence ensures that there will never be any objective mainstream reporting, and besides, the Israeli government' is doing our bidding anyway. Problem is when you have your boot on the neck of a 3rd world people you have to keep it there because if you let up for a second they're after you.

Reply to No. 4 Biscuit:

You can find a dozen pictures in as many minutes of Hammas rockets being fired out of buit-up (urban) areas. Just go to getty images where most papers get their photos from. or even the anti-israeli NY Times slide shows online.

The law of war is clear. a protected area (school church hospital ect..) looses its protected status as soon as it is used for military purposes. If I placed an artillery spotter in NotraDame cathedral, that gives the oposing force the right under the Hague convention to level it. Ditto if I store munitions in Mass General Hospital.

The solution is very simple. Hammas and Fatah et al only need to recognize Israel''s right to exist in peace and this would all go away.

let's give palestine more land so they can have a proper military base ... while we're at it let's also give them f16s and tanks and cluster bombs, so they don't have to randomly throw rockets into israel. then the deaths will be more equal on both sides and israel will look more like the victim.