Not that this surprises me one bit, considering terrorists generally have no problem with civilian deaths, but this is still an important development in Israel's battle against the Hamas terrorist organization:
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh operated a command and control center inside Shifa Hospital in downtown Gaza City throughout Operation Cast Lead in January, the IDF revealed on Wednesday.
IDF probes opened following the offensive discovered that Haniyeh and other senior Hamas commanders took over a ward of the hospital, the Gaza Strip's largest, and set up a command center for the duration of the campaign.
Besides the fact that it is a blatant war crime to use human shields, as Hamas has done, it shows that Israel cares more about the welfare of the average Gazan than does the terrorist government they elected.
This wasn't the only case of Hamas using human shields, either:
Senior Hamas commanders also set up a command center in a Red Crescent Society clinic in Khan Yunis and used it as a detention center.
That's like if Rick Perry carried out his secession dream from the Dallas Red Cross.
All these developments are very sad, but one thing cannot be denied: Even Hamas realizes that Israel operates with higher morality than they do. Hamas knows that Israel would not want to have to bomb hospitals and Red Crescent facilities, so they take advantage of that.
The probe also uncovered a number of cases during which Hamas used ambulances to transport operatives. Testimony by a Gazan medical worker and obtained by the IDF revealed how Hamas forced the Red Crescent to hand over medic and nurse uniforms for its operatives.
We can only hope that Egypt's attempt to bridge the gap between Fatah and Hamas is successful and works to remove the Hamas terrorists from power. I honestly don't believe there can ever be a peace dealing solely with Hamas, not while they're continuing their terrorist activities and broadcasting antisemitic filth on their official television network:
If there is a Hamas/Fatah reconciliation that removes the terrorists from power, maybe then, President Barack Obama and his envoy George Mitchell will have a solid chance at brokering a peace. Otherwise, the fate of the Palestinian people will be solely in the hands of Israel's Benjamin Netanyau and Avigdor Lieberman, and I don't think any sane person wants that.