Letter writer didn’t have her facts straight on Hamas

To the editor:

You published a letter to the editor on Aug. 7 from Jennifer Scarlott, where she faults Israel for defending itself from Hamas rockets and attacks. 

Ms. Scarlott makes statements which are untrue and inaccurate. She fails to mention the 3,500 rockets fired by Hamas into Israel for the sole aim of killing and terrorizing innocent civilians. She also neglects to mention the 32 or so “attack” tunnels built by Hamas into Israel for the same purpose. Hamas’ stated goal from its inception has been the destruction of the State of Israel. Hamas took humanitarian aid meant to benefit its population to build concrete-lined attack tunnels and to buy and build missiles. Israel only took action after Hamas fired the missiles.

Facts support Israel’s effort to minimize civilian casualties, but Hamas’s military strategy is to launch missiles from civilian areas, store missiles under homes and even hide them in schools and mosques. They also try to draw fire to civilian areas and ask civilians to act as human shields. I’m sure if Ms. Scarlott had an attack tunnel built under her home and had missiles targeted at her she would want the U.S. to take all necessary military action to protect her.

Ms. Scarlott claims that Israel’s efforts to destroy missiles and tunnels are, ”ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people” and are a travesty. However, she doesn’t condemn Hamas attacks on innocent Israelis. Isn’t the loss of life of both Palestinians and Israelis a travesty that must stop? 

Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza, and the ceasefire is holding. Any humanitarian aid must not be misused. A lasting peace must be negotiated between Palestinians and Israelis at the bargaining table, not with missiles. 

Samuel Taller