Hamas - Missing In Action

[RMPNCO]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7843633.stm

Standing on a newly formed hillside of rubble in the destroyed Jabaliya refugee camp, five young men all claim to be resistance fighters.

"All of Gaza are mujahideen," they said.

But when asked which of them had actually fired a gun in the three week-long battle with Israel, none gave a convincing answer.

And as armed Hamas policemen return to Gaza's street-corners and traffic-lights, many in Gaza are wondering where they were when it came to fighting the Israeli Army.

Hamas still has enough power and influence here that few will criticise the Islamist movement openly.

But when Hamas called for a rally to celebrate what it has been calling a historic victory over the Israelis, the citizens of Gaza voted with their feet - they stayed at home.

In the past Hamas could easily call tens of thousands into the streets, but this time only party stalwarts could look around the devastation and believe this could be victory.

"I think the resistance is strong," said Beithar Ajar, 26, who described himself as a Hamas legal adviser.

"I think the Israeli army is very weak. Very weak."

Sober appraisal

A truck with loudspeakers made a turn around Palestine Square in central Gaza city, playing Hamas battle songs.

A barker standing on the back shouted insults to Israel's government on a microphone.

But relatively few green flags unfurled in the crowd.

Hamas appear somewhat conspicuous by there absence. What I do find incredulous is that this story is by a BBC journalist!

[RMPNCO]

their absence...................

[Marshall]

many in Gaza are wondering where they were when it came to fighting the Israeli Army.

They should have checked the schools and other places where kids gather.

[newyorker]

"many in Gaza are wondering where they were when it came to fighting the Israeli Army."

Under women's skirts and behind children.

[reverend]

from what I have been able to gather there were a considerable number of contacts between hamas /IJ fighters and israeli forces, most of which ended badly for the fighters, apparently hamas attempted a counter attack on the second day of the ground operation which disrupted Israeli movements for a time, this was however decimated by all accounts and hamas took to fire and maneuver tactics untill the last week when they were avoiding direct confrontation and attempting quick ambushes then withdrawing!

reasonably good light inf tactics really!

[bertrus2]

The smashing of the resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto was a source of simillar jollity among the fascist ilk, no doubt.

[reverend]

oh dear bert sticking childish insults in his posts as usual!

[newyorker]

Jan 22, 2009 0:33:23 GMT bertrus2 said:

The smashing of the resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto was a source of simillar jollity among the fascist ilk, no doubt.

Aw, bertrus is sad that his beloved Hamas terrorists pissed their panties before they we're removed from the planet for the betterment of all mankind.

[bertrus2]

childish insults

You really think the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto was a great victory for the Wehrmacht?

[newyorker]

Well you must be happy about it bertrus considering how much you hate the Jews.

Still crying over the dead Hamas terrorists today?

[Marshall]

The thread was about the whereabouts of Hamas, not the destruction in Gaza.

[kjetski]

Hopefully Hamas is up in smoke

[bertrus2]

They're in there somewhere, amid the rubble.

More than 1,300 Palestinians killed
More than 4,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, more than 20,000 severely damaged
50,000 Gazans homeless and 400,000 without running water

[newyorker]

Jan 22, 2009 1:46:50 GMT bertrus2 said:

They're in there somewhere, amid the rubble.

More than 1,300 Palestinians killed
More than 4,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, more than 20,000 severely damaged
50,000 Gazans homeless and 400,000 without running water

Maybe they'll vote in a modern moderate party in the next election, this Hamas thing isn't working out too well for them.

[reverend]

Jan 22, 2009 1:07:03 GMT bertrus2 said:

childish insults

You really think the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto was a great victory for the Wehrmacht?

No bert, I think your a cnut for being unable to post anything without decending into childlike vitriol and irrelevant comparisons!

[mids]

Hamas are girly poofs.

[Victor Meldrew]

They're in there somewhere, amid the rubble.

More than 1,300 Palestinians killed

If they'd have come out to play, rather than playing hide and seek behind the civilian population, then the Israelis would have known where they were. And you would know where they are now.

Oh, by the way, if you're talking about their leaders, try looking in Damascus. Al Jazeera didn't seem to have much trouble finding their main man in that city for a television interview last night. Quite a nice place to sit and watch your 'people' suffering from, I suppose.

[bertrus2]

irrelevant comparisons!

There are points of comparison between the Nazi destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto and Israel's latest onslaught on Palestine. The first point is that Gaza is sealed off. There is no escape. It's the shooting fish in a barrel thing. Secondly, the Israeli army, like the Wehrmacht, is on another level altogether from the resistance, in terms of manpower and firepower. It's a massacre and not a military engagement.

[VikingHumpingWitch]

One key difference that I can see between the Warsaw Ghetto and Gaza is that Jews in Warsaw were not firing rockets at the Germans. I think it's quite an important one.

Anyway, much as I think Israel is incredibly heavy-handed and really shows too scant a regard for civilians, you can hardly expect them to say "Well, that's the 17th rocket today but we'd better not do anything to protect our civilians because we've got a bigger army and more hi-tech stuff." It may surprise you to learn that Israel also has innocent civilians among its population, and they too deserve to live without fear of attack.

[silkbreeze]

where are hamas ?
many of them are fixing the tunnels....until they can persuade egypt to open rafiah