It is sad and traumatic to see images of women and especially children, wounded, maimed or killed in war. Regardless of their creed or origin. In the recent bout of violence between Israel and Palestinian terrorists, such images have been broadcasted worldwide several times a day, not only by the Palestinian and Arab networks, but also by the European and American ones.

While the United Nations and Europe at large has condemned Israel for using excessive force in the Gaza Strip, almost all of the foreign networks have focused their broadcasts on the images of Palestinian children in Gaza who were wounded in the IAF strikes or killed. The same networks have refrained from showing images of children in the southern Israeli town of Sderot who were maimed for life after losing limbs in Kassam rocket barrages and others who have been traumatized for life, having to endure seven years of rocket barrages on their homes. Children in Sderot were also among the growing list of Israeli fatalitiesin recent years who fell victims to the Palestinian terror..

The world at large has also failed to address the fact that Hamas and terror organizations in Gaza take advantage of the children and manipulate them to serve their cause. In a number of air strikes conducted by the IAF in recent days, leaflets were dropped calling on locals to evacuate their homes warning them. Hamas taking advantage of the situation encouraged children to stand on the rooftops in an effort to avert such strikes.

Senior military officials told Yediot Aharonoth in a recent report, that a number of air strikes were called off at the last minute after the children were spotted at the site to be targeted. In the massive Hamas rallies held in Gaza, children are often dressed up in army fatigues, pose as would be suicide bombers wearing mock bomb belts. In the schools and kindergartens of Gaza, children are taught to seek Israel's destruction, and aspire to martydom. Palestinian media reports claim that women and children were among the 100 fatalities killed in the recent bout of violence in Gaza. Chief of General Staff Lt.Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi however declared on Monday that of the 100 killed 90 were armed terrorists.

While the world is busy condemning Israel, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has asked Israel's leading judicial authorities to examine the possibility of moving Palestinian civilians out of harms way prior to air strikes. The idea would give the IDF greater room to maneuver and target rocket crews.

Barak also asked the officials to examine cutting fuel supplies to Gaza, firing single artillery shells against rocket fire. These are just a few examples but they also prove that Israel does its utmost to ensure that the civilian casualties are kept at a minimum.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the other side, who purposely choose to target Israeli civilian population centers. The terrorists choose to launch their attacks at Israel from Palestinian civilian areas, knowing that Israel will think twice before targeting a residential area. Suicide bombs and Kassam rockets kill. It is about time the world sees Hamas for what they really are, a murderous terror organization who seeks Israel's destruction.03/04/08

Margot Dudkevitch

Infolive.tv