Khaled Abu Toameh has a devastating analysis of Hamas’ claim of victory over the IDF.
Hamas’s claim that it has emerged victorious from Operation Cast Lead is reminiscent of the fiery statements of Ahmed Said, the famous Egyptian radio announcer who, during the Six Day War, continued to report the fictional downing of dozens of Israeli warplanes after Israel destroyed the Arab air forces.
[…] Hamas’s claim that the movement lost only 48 of its gunmen and that the IAF had used half of its ammunition in air strikes on the Gaza Strip is not being taken seriously by many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Nor are many Palestinians taking seriously Hamas’s claims that its men destroyed 47 tanks and armored vehicles, killed 80 IDF soldiers and wounded hundreds of others.
Not many people believe Hamas’ casualty count, either.
Various sources in the Gaza Strip, including medics, journalists and a few Hamas supporters are convinced that the movement is not telling the truth about its human losses and the damage done to its security and civilian infrastructure.
One medic said he believes at least 250 Hamas militiamen died in the fighting, while a journalist put the figure at over 400.
The sources agreed, nevertheless, that it was difficult to come up with accurate figures because it was difficult to distinguish between a civilian and a Hamas militiaman.
And here is why I don’t believe the UN’s casualty count:
According to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, on the first day of the war Hamas ordered its gunmen to take off their uniforms to avoid being detected by the IDF. The Hamas gunmen who participated in the fighting against the IDF were all dressed as civilians and the majority arrived at hospitals without their weapons or any other signs revealing their status as gunmen.
This is standard operating procedure—it protects the terrorists from arrest, and also inflates the civilian casualty count, as the UN is quick to believe any Palestinian “official” count, and pass it along to the news media—who then use it as if it is written in stone. The IDF estimates that at least three-quarters of the death toll are Hamas terrorists and related fighters.
As for the brave, brave Hamas mujahadin, there were “victory rallies” all over Gaza today—but there was something decidedly absent from the parties. There was no sign of the Hamas leadership. Ismail Haniyeh? In hiding. Mahmoud al-Zahar? In hiding. Senior Hamas leadership? All in hiding.
As for the Hamas leadership “proving” they can still fire mortars and rockets, well, the IAF can still fire their weapons, too.
IAF planes struck a Kassam rocket launcher in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening, hours after two incidents of gunfire and mortar shell fire were reported against IDF troops in the area.
The discontent is beginning.
“We can’t talk about real victory because there were thousands of martyrs and we didn’t liberate anything,” said Jawdat Abu Nahel. “It’s no time for a parade.”
Let’s hope it spreads.
It’s great that “the ONE” is black-no problem.
My problem with him is what he stands for-and that his supporters are bordering on cultish.
I came of voting age in 1988-so I spent my adolescence in the Reagan era.
My son will be 18 in 2012-and will be coming of age under a domestic trerrorist befriending socialist who has nary a clue when it comes to national security.
I will proudly celebrate this great Nation and what She stands for-but I will rejoice over this president.
-BarbTwerp
It should say: I will NOT rejoice over this president.
That’s Barack Hussein Obama. Yeah USA.
Somehow I just can’t get the least bit excited about this. If he were a man of substance such as Alan Keyes, I’d be overjoyed.
But since he deceived his way in, it hardly seems a victory.
Alan Keyes? The man filed a lawsuit over Barack Obama’s eligibility to be president. He abandoned his own daughter because she is gay. He switched parties three times and states twice in order to get elected to public office.
You have to be a troll.
BTW, what part of 700 billion dollars for banks is not Socialism.
You know what I’m not liking here?
The attitude in some of the comments.
Jen’s been around a while. You don’t like what she says? Fine. Dispute it. Don’t start namecalling.
I’m planning on being completely fair to our new President. I am going to treat him with all of the respect and dignity with which the Democrats treated President Bush!
Robert
Here’s an example of the dignity and respect our previous President was afforded by Democrats:
http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/01/20/bush-mocked-as-he-arrives-on-inauguration-dais/
Robert
bdeevsDad,
Maybe I don’t know every single thing there is to know about Keyes, but I have heard him speak numerous times, and agree with most of what he says. But I don’t necessarily see the problem with him challenging Obama’s eligibility.
And as far as it goes with his daughter, it is my understanding that it was far more than her sexual orientation that caused a problem in her family. But that’s not really the point, is it?
I’m not a troll. I’m just a very conservative woman with a lot of opinions. I love this blog, and Meryl has been so kind as to allow my registration.
I am so glad that anti-miscegenation laws were repealed. And I’m glad that there are peoples of all colours and both sexes in influential positions in our country. I just want all of them to be worthy of their leadership roles.
BTW, I don’t dispute the problems with the bailouts.
I have no idea how this happened, but the post about Obama’s presidency has disappeared, and the comments were rolled into this post.
I have no idea why.