• Navy joins bombardment of Hamas terrorist bases
• Year by year, how infighting and war with Israel have reduced Gaza to ashes
• Obama stays silent over Tel Aviv's actions
• Comment: Only Obama can end this bloody stalemate as Gaza cries for help
• Israeli attack on Gaza sparks rise in price of gold and oil
• Police on alert after riot at Israel's London embassy

Reader views (46)

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US and European people pay tax and their governments give it to Israel to kill women and innocent children. Hamas was selected with Palestine nation vote. Why Israel surrounds Gaza and don't let food and drug to wounded persons? Isn't Israel a occupier? I think Democracy and Human right is a big lie in West.

- Hossein, Tehran

Only when terrorism affects you directly would you begin to understand why Israel has to retaliate like it is doing. If rockets were landing in your back garden everyday, killing and maiming family and friends I am sure the cynics may think differently about the approach of the IDF. This is war, unfortunately people get hurt � on both sides.

- May, London

peace is in the hands of hamas.

- Essexkid, essex

Have you not heard about the rockets that are fired on Israel by fanatics even while they are seeking peace? Hamas started this Operation and the IDF will end it with force, the only language the supporters of Hamas understand and obey.

- Derek, London, England

Hamas was democratically elected by Palestinians who were fed up with the corrupt PLO. Hams won the election on the basis of improving the lives of the people of Gaza - not the destruction iof Isreal. Since these elections the Israeli's have implemented an unprecidented and unwarrented economic embargo.... which empowers the extremeists to fire rockets .. which has lead to the latest Isreali response supported fully of course by the USA. .... So who is really to blaime????

- Marke, Houston, Texas

Well said Sylvia of Epping, Vijay Gupta of Southall and Eric Muldownie.

- Ew, UK

I don't think Israel would bomb anyone if they were allowed to live their lives in peace

- Linda, italy

Rafael is right, Hamas is an enemy of the Gazans so it's up to them to sort them out. You cannot blame Israel for defending it's citizens after so many rocket attacks - if they stop, so does the majority of the violence - over to Hamas.

- Markburton, St Ives Cambs

Sylvia- If another country came and occupied England, and then treated their pets better then you, what would you do??

- Ma, London

War between who? On one side, one of the most powerful military forces in the world armed with the latest weapons from the U.S. and on the other a group of militants with light weapons.

Hardly a battle between two equals! Anyone remember the story of David and Goliath?

- Manny Goldstein, London, UK

There can be no peace for the terroists - whether they are the ones that attack us with bombs on the tube s or attack Israel with rockets.
The people need to rid themselves of the terroists in their midsts

- Simon, london.england

Israel must complete this operation and destroy and the other terrorists once and for all.

No other country would put up with multiple rocket attacks against its citizens on a daily basis. If you think they are harmless then go and live and work in Sderot for a month - see how you survive.

For those who claim Israel uses indiscriminate force, if you want to defeat your enemy then you have to use overwhelming force.

- Adam, Harrow, UK

These heartless israeli warmongers who also has a nuclear capability are the most dangerous people on the planet right now.Here we have the so called leaders of the free world and the united nations pleading with Israel, not demanding but pleading with Israel to stop this massacre of the palestinian people, but all to no avail. How scary is that?

- James Hennessy, london england

Kev from London might want to read some history. The creation of Isreal was sanctioned by the UN. There is no question of Israel having "stolen" land from the Palestinians. There could also have been a peaceful two State solution years ago had it not been for Araft, and now the extremists of Hamas who are really to blame for this. What is Israel supposed to do when it is constantly being attacked? Where are the protests against the evil that is Hamas?

- Alan, London

Hamas exists because there are no civil rights for Palestinians, that's what happens when you deny people the freedom to go to university, to see the sea because you built a wall blocking it, though you can hear it, to grow olive trees so you don't prosper. This is how the riots started in Northern Ireland in the 60's. The war never ends until basic human rights are returned to these people. And Israelites will never be able to sit in a cafe or go to a market without wondering if they will be victims of a bomb.
But why the rich Arab nations don't help their 'brothers' financially - that is beyond me..

- Louise, London

Why is everybody disturbing peace in UK? I do not want UK police to spend time looking after these protestors, they have better things to do.

- Prasad, SIDCUP

320 Palestinian dead from being bombarded by jet bombers, 2 Israelis dead from home-made devices fired by Hamas.

Israel broke the cease fire on 4 December by assassinating six Hamas members.

Today Israel even bombed the only university in Gaza. There is no depravity to which Israel will not descend.

- Terry Wilson, London

To Mr Foreign Secretary David Miliband: im from a city neer gaza the hamas bombed our city for 8 years, my childrens frightened to play outside. do u find this acceptable?
what u will do if a teror organization will bomb west london?

- Jhonatan, sderot, israel

I personally hate the way groups of people band together and rally about situations and problems that really have nothing at all to do with the UK. We have enough domestic problems to worry about, let alone the plights and causes of foreign countries/groups.

I understand the principles of freedom (freedom of speech, expression etc...). I just don't agree that the British public should accept Palestinians (or Israelis for that matter) protesting in the streets of Britain about something that's happening in the Gazza Strip? How many Brits really give a damn? If these people feel so strongly about what's happening over there, why don't they go there and protest, or attempt to do something other than disrupting business in London (and racking up costs for riot police, court trials etc...)?

Here's my freedom of speech: nuke the area, make it uninhabitable for the next 250,000 years. Hopefully then people will draw more attention to homelessness and joblessness in the UK, affordable housing, some kind of tax relief that makes it possible to raise a family without worrying about how to pay for rent (or the mortgage) and food every month.

Let the Israelis and Palestinians sort it out amongst themselves, it's not our fight. We have more pressing matters to deal with at home.

- Vanessadeagan, London

To Sylvia in Epping. Its not damage in Palestine we are talking about. Its the innocent lives of 310 people killed by Israel. Hamas rockets are fireworks, they hardly kill people. Beside what do you expect if you are under seige in your own home by another country, denying you from food, water and electricity. Remmember Israel occupied Palestine, what would you do if we British were under French occupation.

- K. Miah, London

It is difficult to excuse Israeli actions when they kill in minutes a number of people it would take Palestinian rockets years to equal. The Israeli response to the Palestinian actions is utterly disproportionate. Remove the cause of war - the illegal settlements of the West Bank and the oppression of the Palestinians in Gaza - and there will be peace. But the Israeli government seems intent on showing how effectively it can bomb a defenceless people than in addressing the core issues which keep this conflict alive.

- Edward Mckenna, London

the BBC has shown one funeral yesterday on its 10pm news and that was the single Israeli death compared to the 300 killed in Palestine. look at the facts and get an education before you run your mouth. since 2000 aproximately 160 Israeli civilians have been killed against more than 2000 civilians in palestine that is almost 11:1. Go to youtube and look at the video footage of a Palestinian BBC cameraman being shot dead by the IDF who regarded him as a "legitimate target", WHERE was the BBC coverage of that? Where was the condemnation of that from our government? Keep your biased and uneducated views to yourself in the future.

- Antiwar, Edingburgh

Am i mistaken or was it not Hamas who called off the ceasefire?It seems to me that apart from Hamas (Gaza),Israel is living in relative peace with the remainder of its Arab neighbours,why is that?
Western Governments call for Israel to halt "agression" but what are the differences between Hamas,Al Quaeda & the Taliban?
Perhaps an explanation by Milliband might help understand his attitude,after all his Father is a Jew and the Milliband family seem to live peacefully in the U.K.

- Harvey N Lawrence, London-UK

Kev, if I gave you a blank map of the Middle East and asked you to draw the borders of Palestine would you be able to? I very much doubt it! Until someone can do that there will be not much chance of "peace" in that region.

- Andy, London

Apparently there is this chap called Mahmoud Abbas who is firmly blaming Hamas for this whole sorry episode-has anybody heard of him? Does he know what he is talking about or is he just like most of the people in this post-sat in the West pontificating.

The article quotes include-

"Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has blamed Hamas for triggering Israel's deadly raids on Gaza, by not extending a six-month truce with the Jewish state."

"We talked to them [Hamas] and we told them, 'please, we ask you, do not end the truce. Let the truce continue and not stop", so that we could have avoided what happened."

It continues

"Not just Abbas, but people close to the circles of decision-making in key Arab states, said that Hamas was warned that breaking the ceasefire or not keeping it would result in mayhem and bloodshed," she reported."

"Egypt's foreign minister has also blamed Hamas for preventing hundreds of wounded Palestinians from entering Egypt via the Rafah crossing for treatment - the only crossing that does not border Israel."

Here's the link. I just hope this website is not run by a bunch of zionists

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/12/2008122813459308175.html

No country can tolerate its citiizens being bombarded daily by 80+ rockets.

Gordon Brown would not tolerate this in London

- Berty Shalom, ELstree, England

god bless israel. you can chose your friends, but not your neighbours, must be neighbours FROM HELL!!.

- Dan Lyons, london

Sylvia, Epping. Essex - Your comment just shows how much you know about whats going on. It really is because of people like you that Israel is getting away killing civilians and remember also that this is PALASTINES LAND!

now imagine France invaded the UK and started to kill everyone and the US and other allies supported France. What do you think the people would do? stand by and let this happen?

Your ignorance is sad.

- Joseph, london

first of all read your history before you make a comment that palestine is to blame, if you made people a refugee in their own homeland and used weapons to threaten them out of their own homes for fifty years , the only thing left to do is to retaliate , with weapons and terrorism. No palestinian wants to have to use this , but please keep in mind that israel and america have take palestinians human rights, this is why people have been reduced to desperate measures , if someone came and shot your whole family and then built a home next to you, be ohnest how would you react ?

- Joe, london

Hamas must be eradicated for the benefit of Israelis & Palestinians. They serve no legitimate purpose and merely hinder any hopes of a peacful resolution. Finally, everyone must be aware that the Israelis are responding to months of Hamas rockets being shot into Israel. They have brought this response upon themselves. If you irritate a lion, dont be surprised if it bites you.

- Rob Gooner, London

Once again, the U.S and Saudi Arabia have outsourced their wars to the poorest quarters of the World. This will keep happening until the middlemen stop making money and hell freezes over.

- Sandy, London

What seems to be overlooked is that nobody (important) likes Hamas. Home made rockets are fired at Israel. If the Muslim world supported Hamas then there would be no shortage of weapons and military assistance.

- Bj, London

where was the outrage when Hamas fired over 80 rockets into Israel in the past month

- Wayne, Allentown PA

I would suggest that israel is acting as a terrorist, it steals land, invaids when ever it pleases and then occupies Gaza and then thinks, .....oh no no......america will always defed us.

- Jaberwokie3, switzerland

pity we did not do the same to IRA strongholds but that might have offended the USA and thier support for those terrorists.
if someone hits you and you try to reason with them a few times but they still hit you are you not entitled to thump them. knock them down till they stay down.
stealing arab land? the arabs attacked Israel enmasse in 1947 and got cuffed for their pains. fly with the crows and you get shot with the crows. as long as the palestinian arabs back the extemist they will get the rubbish end of the stick every time. and if it ever looks like Israel is going to be overrun and detroys then it will al go nuclear and hell mend the lot of them.

- Ron Oliver, Edinburgh Scotland

Rafael is right. Want the violence to stop? Then stop rocket attacks Israel on a daily basis and sit down to talk. It really is that simple.
The previous 'ceasefire' was a farce. What Hamas meant was you cease fire while we will launch as many rockets as we like. Well poke the sleeping giant repeatedly and see what you get for your trouble.
Hamas will never sit down to negotiate in good faith because they simply don't want peace. It suits their purposes to be constantly at war.

Useful idiots (aided by a visceral pro palestinian BBC/media) here in the west want to hogtie Israel to allow Hamas to continue to rain death on civiliians with impunity.
What a shame no Palestinian leaders REALLY want a just and lasting peace - they talk peace to us here in the west (for the supine main stream media) then scream Jihad and Intifada at home. Can you trust people like that.

- Ethan Edwards, UK

Here we go yet again. And also yet again - our police force, sorry, service, face the anger of another load of demonstrators.

- Rob, London

Anything that anyone, group, organisation or country does to thwart the march of islam should be defended and supported.

- Eric Muldownie, London

Good for Israel, it is counter attacking at last.
The Egyptians in Gaza, need to open the border to their brothers in Egypt.
Israel owes Gaza nothing, perhaps maybe the mercy of allowing it to exist, but nothing else.
The non moslems of the world are sick and tired of the lies, duplicity and moral hypocracy of the islamic world.
There is a black face in the photo at the top, does he even know about the genocide of africans in the Sudan by arabs ? why should we care what happens to the Gazans. We should care about the Coptics, the Serbs, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians about the Buddhists in South Thailand.
The arab/islamic world is now going to slip into it's tried and tested "victim" mode. Why were they not shouting when the rockets were being launched. Where was the outrage during the islamic terrorist attack on Mumbhai ?

Islamic hypocrites.

- Vijay Gupta, Southall

The rocket attacks from Gaza have become intolerable for the civilian population of Southern Israel. The Israeli government have shown considerable restraint up to now to no avail. It is time to show the terrorist group Hamas that they will not prevail. People here need to understand that they are equivalent to Al Qaeda and have to be dealt with in the same manner.

- Jonathan, London

All we hear about is the damage Israel has done, especialy from the BBC. What about the constant rocket attacks, are they supposed to ignore it? Suppose it will be another excuse for London to be blown up again. It's bound to be everyones fault but theirs.

- Sylvia, Epping. Essex

Israel stole the land thay now occupy from the palestinians in the first place,Israel is a occupier of the palestinian lands and as such deserve to be treated as a foreign invading army.There can be no peace in the middle east until the palestinians retake the land that was stolen from them.

- Kev, London-UK

Rafael, your views are simplistic in the extreme.

Answer me this, why do Hamas exist (and don't read me their manifesto or anything like that), why is an organisation as extreme as Hamas capable of existing?

The tit for tat back and forth between two extreme organisations (Hamas and the Israeli military and the far-right) is meaningless. The loss of life is meaningless. Any attempt to take sides, or justify the actions of either side is meaningless given the history.

I pray for the civilians in this situation, I hope that particular leaders, on both sides, are brought to legal, moral, spiritual justice.

People grow up, taking sides on this issue (unless it is the side of the civilians) is like either supporting the playground bully, or the ignorant, but wronged, child. Doesn't help either.

Grow up, all of you.

- Dude, London

Good to see that Tony Blair has continued his excellent record of disaster!!! First he takes us into an illegal war in Iraq and now as Middle East envoy (a job he should never have been given his association with Bush) there has been the large single day of killing since the 6 Day War! Well done Tony (time to resign I think).

Israel has had more UN resolutions brought against it than Iraq/Sadam ever did but was always protected in its genocide by the US. I suspect Israel's attack has been timed to ensure they still have the support of the US (Bush) as they don't know how Obama will react. I can only hope (but doubt) that Obama will stop protecting this evil nation. Israel is surprised by the attacks from Hamas but given that they have treated the Palestinians in such a dreadful way - depriving them of water, electricity, homes, jobs, dignity, allowed jewish settlements on Palestinian land, etc - it really isn't surprising!

- Andy, London

Most would disagree with you Rafael if one would read between the lines. The Gazans democratically elected Hamas not PA, and what do the international community do? Ignore the elected party by the people to a corrupt party who did not achieve or help as Hamas did.
It is not like the old days, place a puppet leader and the people will follow.

- Majid Khan, London

"We need to show the Israelis the world is watching them."

Absolutely! The US may be overstretched in the Middle East, but wouldn't it be great if one of President Obama's first actions was to announce a change of tack re: Israel? It's possible, objectively, to feel sympathies for both sides, even while it's deeply objectionable that they are "sides" at all (cf. Ireland, for another recent example), and many will say that you need to live in the region to really understand the conflict.

I say you need to be close not to be able to see the wood for the trees. The leadership change in Israel is happening naturally, without being enforced externally - time for external parties to enforce accelerated negotiations, then. For once, it's not about oil, but our most vital resource - our collective humanity.

- Karli, Tottenham, London

Israel occupied the G.S. in the first place as a result of being attacked by its Arab neighbours. It was Egypt beforehand.
Israel unconditionally withdraws from Gaza after nearly 40 years and receives nothing but indiscriminate rocket attacks into civilian areas. Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on a regular basis on the premise that they refrain from violent acts.

I understand that the ordinary Gazans suffer terribly but their enemy is Hamas, not Israel.

- Rafael, London, UK

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