Will this increase or decrease the likelihood of terrorist actions in America, Europe and the rest of the world?

If you were a member of a family murdered in this conflict, would you be seeking revenge?

Should Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert, be tried for war crimes if or when this conflict comes to an end?

What will the price of oil be in 4 weeks time?

For those who don't follow links..................
START QUOTE
Hamas police 'seize aid for Gaza'

Half the population in Gaza is dependent on aid
Hamas policemen have seized thousands of blankets and food parcels that were meant to be distributed to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, UN officials say.

A UN spokesman said policemen raided a UN warehouse on Tuesday after officials refused to hand over the aid to a Hamas-controlled ministry.

The UN said it was the first time its aid had been confiscated by Hamas.

It condemned the action and demanded the goods be immediately returned. Hamas denied its men had taken any aid.

UN spokesman Christopher Gunness said Hamas police took 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels.

The Hamas Social Affairs Minister in Gaza, Ahmed al-Kurd, denied that members of the Islamist movement had removed aid from a UN building.

However, he said his ministry was in dispute with the UN relief agency about how aid should be distributed.

He accused the UN of giving aid to local groups with ties to Hamas opponents.
END QUOTE

Obviously you cannot take what the BBC says as being accurate, they have made far too many errors in the past.

Also some would say that Hamas "police" are really the Israeli special forces in disguise just trying to discredit the true peace loving democratic Hamas.

Also that Gunness chap has been subverted by Mossad to tell lies against the true peace loving democratic Hamas.

Also the entire UN operation in Gaza has been compromised by Mossad against the true peace loving democratic Hamas.

Also that Obama is really a Jew and has been compromised by Mossad against the true peace loving democratic Hamas.

Anyway, even if the story was true, Hamas need the food and aid for the people who really matter in Gaza, yes, you've guessed it, the members of the true peace loving democratic Hamas.

Compared with the carnage and murder Israel has committed it is peanuts.

But still wrong.

I remember the day of the Warrington bombing very well.
Two sisters, cousins of one of the boys who was killed, often babysat for us.

Tim Parry is just one child out of so, so many who have been mercilessly sacrificed.
And, remarkably, his parents were able to find a purposeful and rewarding way out of such a devastating experience.

Warrington bomb victims' centre opens

Fred:

Compared with the carnage and murder Israel has committed it is peanuts.

You appal me. You really can only see one side of this.

Hamas is a terrorist organization that has hijacked Gaza to perpetrate its war on Israel. When will you open your eyes?

News today from the findings of one of the fastest UN investigations of all time - claims that a UN school had been shelled during the offensive were untrue. The school was not hit, rather some shells exploded at a Hamas firing position 'nearby'. The school and its occupants were unharmed.

The original claims that Israel had targetted and hit a UN school made front page news. I wonder whether the media will even bother to cover the truth now that it's out.

news from where?
i don't doubt what you say, but let's face it, it is absolutely impossible to be certain as to what is fact, what is fiction, and what is deliberate disinformation.

many many years ago, and i shan't bore you with the details, there was deliberate disinformation (for good reason as it happens) put out by Henry K's office as to his whereabouts one particular w/e ...... this was fully accepted by all the media .... it was not until HK's memoirs were published that this was all laid bare

Cynic - news from the UN, but this is the problem - hardly anybody is reporting it.

I think it's easy to be certain over facts such as 'does the fabric of the school building show any signs of damage'.


Links:-
The Spectator
The Australian

Good to hear from you Maggot, glad you're well - still get out fishing?
Regards,
H

UN news is probably accurate, though again any report almost always carries the reporter's fingerprint (slant)

even your school building analogy is not "foolproof" ..... you only need to look at estate agents' pix

Cynic - no need to be apologist on this one.

MOST people remember the headlines: "Massacre of Innocents as UN School is Shelled; Israeli Strike Kills Dozens at UN School."

(snip)

John Ging, UNRWA's operations director in Gaza, acknowledged in an interview this week that all three Israeli mortar shells landed outside the school and that "no one was killed in the school".

Thanks for your good wishes Chocolat, Ruth, MightyMicro and Splat. Yes I am still fishing (though not since Christmas because of the inclement weather and the fact that many waters have been frozen). Actually I've had the best two years' results ever since I started matchfishing in 1958! I've hardly gone a week without winning money somewhere. Also became a Grandad a couple of years ago.

As for the recent posts remember: 'The first casualty of war is the Truth.'

As for foreign aid, where wars are involved EVERY SINGLE ONE is ransacked by the military - and I don't suppose the UK would be any different. Governments consider it more important that their army is fed than the local population...which makes sense since they would say that if their army starves there's no-one left to help the local population. So indirectly the population will still benefit. My brother who has lived 40 years in Africa was once involved with Save The Children and he confirmed that about 5% of supplies usually get through to the people for whom they are directly intended. But he said he would still give to such appeals.

PS Just made a few quid from th UKX bounce off 4200.

Also a particular hello to Gausie, who I met at Croc's funeral.

Hey Maggot - and a big hello backatya! Hope your recovery is speedy.

Maggot
Good to hear you are still fishing. Havent been out myself since a weeks trip to a carp puddle in France last July. Always seems like there is something else to do.

'John Ging, UNRWA's operations director in Gaza, acknowledged that "no one was killed in the school". '

The very same John Ging who claimed white phosporus weaponry was used when the medical professionals treating the injured weren't so sure.

edit - ps. hello maggot, never met you but everyone else says hi, don't want come across as ignorant.

Gausie .... i think "apologist" may be derogatory, or have i suddenly got thin-skinned, unlikely as that may be! ..... as you may (not) have realised, i march to my own tune, but admit that in this instance i tend to be more anti-israel than anything ... that does not mean i am pro-hamas either, but assuredly have immense sympathy for what in the main are the innocent families caught in the middle of everything in Gaza

Wasn't meant as derogatory - but feel free to take offence if that's what you'd prefer.

We all have sympathy for the innocent and decent families caught in the middle of this. But you choose to forget - there are innocent and peace loving families on BOTH sides of the border.

The difference between our views is that I blame Hamas and only Hamas for dragging the innocents into this conflict - both Palestinian and Israeli.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for provoking the war - for knowing the likely outcome of their missile attacks against Israeli civilians but continuing regardless.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for hiding behind their own Palestinian civilians and exposing them to the inevitable outcomes.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for using their own people as human shields, and launching missiles from the most densely populated areas.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for failing to build shelters for them - shelters that are commonplace in all parts of the region, and which have been amply funded by the international community.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for their leaders conducting their entire operation from inside a bunker under the main Gaza hospital.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for smuggling weapons through their tunnels when the people need medicine and food. They could easily have smuggled aid instead - and with no smuggled rockets and missiles being launched at Israel the borders would have been reopened anyway.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for rejecting the path to peace - without rockets and kidnappings there would have been no need for incursion.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for prolonging the violence and suffering inflicted on the Palestinians.

I blame Hamas and only Hamas for mindlessly attacking innocent Israelis peacefully going about their business in the southern and border towns.

You prefer to blame the victims.

Gausie .... i almost never take offense, and this certainly is not one such occasion .... i note that you blame hamas for absolutely everything (perhaps for our snow here too!), and leaving aside the iranian valuable contribution to this conflict, do you blame or hold israel culpable for anything at all?

I hold Israel responsible for not trying to stamp out the rockets sooner.

how interesting ..... and would you suggest they also start bombing various installations in iran? ..... or perhaps the ships said to be carrying the missiles for hamas?

It's an idea worthy of consideration.

Do you remember when they destroyed Iraq's fledgling nuclear capability in 1981? The world would be a very much worse place if they hadn't.

1981 destruction of Saddam's nuclear capability