Israel Matzav

NY Times: 'Vast majority of those killed Hamas police and security men'

For those of you who have watched the videos further down the page, I am sure that you noticed that all of the victims in the live shots were adult males. Now, even the New York Times is confirming that the 'vast majority' of those killed are Hamas police and security men (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).

A military operation against Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, had been forecast and demanded by Israeli officials for weeks, ever since a rocky cease-fire between Israel and Hamas broke down completely in early November and rocket attacks began in large numbers against Israel. Still, there was a shocking quality to Saturday’s attacks, in broad daylight on about 100 sites, as police cadets were graduating, women were shopping at the outdoor market and children were emerging from school.

The center of Gaza City instantly became a scene of chaotic horror, with rubble everywhere, sirens wailing, and women shrieking as dozens of mutilated bodies were laid out on the pavement and in the lobby of Shifa Hospital so that family members could identify them. The vast majority of those killed were Hamas police officers and security men, including two senior commanders, but the dead included several construction workers and at least two children in school uniforms.

Here's a video from al-Reuters:

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:32 PM