"Special Del, observe how Hamas treats children and women in Gaza as human shields, and in Israel by slaughtering, and burning them alive and taking innocent civilians' hostages. That was Hamas focus, Israel is focused on destroying Hamas fighters and weapons. A different focus, which is beyond your grasp of understanding."

Josephus is attempting a Jedi mind trick.

- "You didn't see a dozen 14 story buildings leveled in under 10 seconds.
You didn't see those dead people dragged out from the rubble.
You didn't see any dead Palestinians strewn all over the road.
You didn't see that 7 year old girl with half her skull and brain missing.
You didn't see parents of dead kids screaming bloody murder.
You didn't see any mass graves or blood stained sheet covered corpses.
You didn't see any footage that showed Israels actions in a bad light, No.
- What you saw was all Hamas."

Hi AC,

I've learned that there are dozens of groups in Gaza, some even more radical than Hamas. These guys are ready and waiting to step in if a void is created by the removal of Hamas by Israel.

For a young bloke to see his family wiped out and his home and future destroyed by those he hates already, what's he got to lose, what's he got live for? What can be expected, the bloke is going to be so radicalised that he'll do anything to seek revenge! Every Israeli bomb kills 10, but creates 20 more radicals at the same time. Agree?

Hi Paul,
"I've learned that there are dozens of groups in Gaza, some even more radical than Hamas."
- That's interesting. I did know there was at least one other group but I really don't know that much about it or other groups.

I knew that not all hostages were being held by Hamas, maybe 30 or 40 of them off memory, and I read that in a mainstream media article.

I remember hearing the phrase 'random Gazan opportunists' somewhere, and have used it in the forum previously to generalise these other (Non-Hamas) groups and people.
They may have also been responsible for at least some of the murders of innocent Israeli civilians.

"What can be expected, the bloke is going to be so radicalised that he'll do anything to seek revenge! Every Israeli bomb kills 10, but creates 20 more radicals at the same time. Agree?"

- Yep, that was exactly my argument.
And let me also say that my opinion here has absolutely nothing to do with supporting one side over the other.
It's simply just stating the reality of the situation.

5000 dead kids, do they not have brothers and sisters, family who loved them and are enraged by the senseless loss?
A large part of the Muslim world is enraged by all this, millions of people protesting...
Why would one not assume the surviving family members of those killed would not be even more enraged than the average incensed Muslim?

Look at how the Israelis are acting about their own loved ones taken hostage, and from what I've heard from those already released, were treated reasonably well.
If people dismiss this argument, (that Israel is not eliminating Hamas, but essentially helping to recruit more by their own actions) then they're probably not in touch with reality, nor capable of considering things rationally.

Hear, hear AC

You cannot bludgeon a large mass of people into total submission, unless you wipe out every last one of them. Hitler realised that with the Jews, in his way of thinking it was no good exterminating just the Jewish leadership, or the the "most dangerous" Jews. Hitler wanted the children exterminated as well, he knew those children would become the next generation seeking revenge.

In this case, there would be those in Israel who want the Palestinians totally exterminated, they've got them where they want em', herded into tiny enclaves call the Gaza Strip and West Bank. It would be a relatively simple task to wipe them all out, but world opinion and other Arab dangers wouldn't allow for that, so there in lies the problem, what's to be the end result for Israel. The ball is totally in the Israels court, the Palestinians have no say in it, they're the ones being held hostage, millions of them.

AC, if you understand Islamic extremists, you will know dying as a martyr is heroic and they are brainwashed and ready for that. They treat death as entering paradise with 72 doe-teed virgins. They do not regard life of others as sacred if they do not claim Mohamed the prophet of God. You watch the 150 Israeli prisoners that are released will immediately take up arms to fight Israel, as they wish to die as martyr Heroes

http://islamqa.info/en/answers/8511/what-are-the-rewards-of-a-martyr

Question
What are the six characteristics of the martyrs (shahid) taught to us from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)?

Summary of answer
The martyr has seven blessings from Allah: 1- he is forgiven from the moment his blood is first shed; 2- he will be shown his place in Paradise; 3- he will be spared the trial of the grave; 4- and he will be secure on the Day of Judgement; 5- there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, 6- he will be married to 72 of al-hur al-‘iyn; 7- and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.
Answer
Praise be to Allah.

It was reported in the hadith of al-Miqdam ibn Ma’di Karb that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“The martyr (shahid) has seven blessings from Allah: he is forgiven from the moment his blood is first shed; he will be shown his place in Paradise ; he will be spared the trial of the grave; and he will be secure on the Day of the Greatest Terror (the Day of Judgement); there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it; he will be married to seventy-two of al-hur al-‘iyn ; and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.”

According to another report, the martyr has six blessings from Allah. According to other reports (the number is) six, or nine, or ten. (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan hadith. Also narrated by Ibn Majah in al-Sunan, by Ahmad, by ‘Abd al-Razzaq in al-Musannaf, by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir, and by Sa’id ibn Mansur in al-Sunan).

And Allah knows best