Gazans Back Up Claims Of Hamas War Crimes

Mudar Zahran posted  an article on Gatestone Institute detailing the interviews he had with ordinary Gazan civilians. Although the world has condemned Israel for alleged atrocities during the 50 day war, these Gazans confirm that Hamas was responsible for much of the death and destruction.

While the world's media has been blaming Israel for the death of Gazan civilians during Operation Protective Edge, this correspondent decided to speak with Gazans themselves to hear what they had to say.

They spoke of Hamas atrocities and war crimes implicating Hamas in the civilian deaths of its own people.

Although Gazans, fearful of Hamas's revenge against them, were afraid to speak to the media, friends in the West Bank offered introductions to relatives in Gaza. One, a renowned Gazan academic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that as soon as someone talked to a Western journalist, he was immediately questioned by Hamas and accused of "communicating with the Mossad". "Hamas makes sure that the average Gazan will not talk to Western journalists -- or actually any journalists at all," he said, continuing:

Here are just some of the comments:

"If Hamas does not like you for any reason all they have to do now is say you are a Mossad agent and kill you." — A., a Fatah member in Gaza.

"Hamas wanted us butchered so it could win the media war against Israel showing our dead children on TV and then get money from Qatar." — T., former Hamas Ministry officer.

"They would fire rockets and then run away quickly, leaving us to face Israeli bombs for what they did." — D., Gazan journalist.

"Hamas imposed a curfew: anyone walking out in the street was shot. That way people had to stay in their homes, even if they were about to get bombed. Hamas held the whole Gazan population as a human shield." — K., graduate student

"The Israeli army allows supplies to come in and Hamas steals them. It seems even the Israelis care for us more than Hamas." — E., first-aid volunteer.

"We are under Hamas occupation, and if you ask most of us, we would rather be under Israeli occupation… We miss the days when we were able to work inside Israel and make good money. We miss the security and calm Israel provided when it was here." — S., graduate of an American university, former Hamas sympathizer.

And yet there are still fools, people I know, some of them Jews, who still blame Israel.

The whole story here.

Hamas Shot Fatah Members In The Legs During Gaza War

Not surprising, but according to Adnan Al-Damiri- spokesman for the Palestinian Authority Security Forces- Hamas shot Fatah members during the recent Gaza War.

 "Regarding our brothers from Fatah who were placed under house arrest during the battles and aggression [in the Gaza Strip], some of them are wounded and hospitalized in the West Bank and refuse to speak, because they’re scared and want to return to their homes. Their legs were wounded by Hamas. Yes. They violated their house arrest and so were shot in the legs."

Palwatch Video here.

Singer Bryan Adams Proud Israel Hater

You can add Canadian rocker Bryan Adams to the list of  I hate Israel celebs, and his Twitter supporters are ecstatic.

On August 9 he wrote:

Bryan Adams @bryanadams · Aug 9
Mr. Prime Minister, @pmharper, The UK PM is sending 20M in aid to #Gaza. Where is Canada's support for the Palestinian people? #gazachildren 

Adams responded with the following after several people questioned whose side he was on, although it's kind of obvious.

Bryan Adams ✔ @bryanadams
@southernstacy @SoulM8dSunshine I can't speak for others, I only speak for myself: I say the war against Gaza was a crime against humanity

And then this to the same two when they questioned him about the three young Israelis who were killed in the West Bank- which was one of the mitigating factors in Israel's was with Gaza:

Bryan Adams ✔ @bryanadamsFollow@southernstacy @SoulM8dSunshine it was never proved who was responsible, and it's not justification for murdering 2000+ people...541 kids.

Then referring to the blockade.

Bryan Adams ✔ @bryanadamsFollow@southernstacy @SoulM8dSunshine ..and the Israeli blockade of #Gaza just entered its 8th year, leaving its 1.7 million inhabitants destitute7:06 PM - 19 Aug 2014

No mention of Egypt's blockade.  I tweeted him about that, and asked if he has opined about the genocide in Iraq and Syria by ISIS. No response.

Then there's the self-loathing Jew piping in with her support.

Chavaleh @ChavaBallFollow@bryanadams thank u so much for speaking out for Gaza and Palestine! I'm Jewish and we MUST speak out agnst Israeli war crimes! #freegaza7:32 AM - 24 Aug 2014

War crimes?  Why aren't these people crying out about what's happening to thousands of Yazidis, Christians and other Muslim minorities in Iraq and elsewhere.

The fools just don't get it.

Hollywood Stars Sign Pro-Israel Statement Condemning Hamas

The Boycott Israel (BDS) movement has its celebrities including Emma Thompson, Danny Glover, Roger Waters, Russell Brand, Stephen Hawking, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, Alice Walker and a slew of others. Some have just bowed to the pressure of BDSers and cancelled appearances and visits to Israel, others have signed petitions and actively condemned Israel for doing what it has every right to do- defend its citizens from Hamas aggression and violence.

Cruz and Bardem recently signed a letter condemning Israel, calling what was happening in Gaza genocide, now some pro-Israel celebs have signed their own statement calling for an end to "singling out" Israel.

Among those almost 200 Hollywood stars and execs signing the statement were Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Seth Rogen, Sherry Lansing and:

 Sarah Silverman, Minnie Driver, Ziggy Marley, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Arnold, Benji Madden, director Ivan Reitman, writer Aaron Sorkin, producer Michael Rotenberg, composer Michael Nyman, producer Haim Saban, Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun.

Initiated by the Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) the petition condemns Hamas for its "ideologies of hatred", as well as efforts to boycott Israel.

The full Statement:

We, the undersigned, are saddened by the devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. We are pained by the suffering on both sides of the conflict and hope for a solution that brings peace to the region.

While we stand firm in our commitment to peace and justice, we must also stand firm against ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas’ charter, Article 7 of which reads, “There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!” The son of a Hamas founder has also commented about the true nature of Hamas.

Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields.

We join together in support of the democratic values we all cherish and in the hope that the healing and transformative power of the arts can be used to build bridges of peace.

Good for them. It's about time. But check out the comments on the link below.  Anti-Semitism is alive and well in the USA.

Source: Deadline Hollywood.

Gazans Must Get Rid of Hamas- Claims Palestinian Activist

There are Palestinians who actually realize their future does not lie with the terrorist leadership Hamas. Bassem Eid, a political commentator and human rights activist who lives in East Jerusalem is one of those enlightened ones.

This was posted on YNetNews.

For 26 years I have been devoting my life to the mission of defending human rights. I have seen wars and terror. And yet, the past month has been one of the most difficult times in my life.

I live in East Jerusalem and witness the destruction of life around me. Highway 1 has once again turned into the line separating between east and west. The Palestinians in the capital attacked traffic lights and damaged the Light Rail and power supply lines. But I cannot accept that as a social protest – it's pure vindictiveness.

The coexistence I have been fighting for my entire life has been executed in the city square.

There is no doubt that the death and destruction Gaza has been hit by are like a tsunami. Both people are in pain, but each side denies the other side's pain, and so the pain gets worse.

And still, as a Palestinian, I must admit: I am responsible for part of what has happened. We can no longer deny our responsibility for the death of our own people.

Most of the Palestinians were against the rocket fire on Israel. They realized that the rockets would not give us anything. They called on Hamas to stop firing, knowing that it had paved the way for the death of its own people.

We knew that Hamas was digging the tunnels which would to lead to our destruction. We knew that three people live on every square meter in Gaza. And Hamas knew that an attack on Israel would lead to mass death, but it's leaders are more interested in their own victories than in the lives of their victims.

Indeed, Hamas depends on death, which gives it power and allows it to raise funds and purchase weapons. Hamas has never been interested in liberating the Palestinian people from the occupation. And Israel will never be able to destroy the infrastructures it has built. Only we, the Palestinian people, can do that.

It was the Gazan residents' responsibility to rebel against the Hamas rule. We knew what they were doing to us, but we let ourselves off easy and allowed it to happen.

Will all this death finally teach us a lesson? I hope so. The lesson is that we must get rid of Hamas and completely demilitarize Gaza. And then open the crossings.

I'm saying this as a loyal Palestinian. I'm saying this because I am concerned about my people's future.

Someone finally taking responsibility for the situation over there. Well done!

There is hope yet, as long as he's not a lone voice about to be snuffed out.

Video- More Hamas Fauxtography Dedicated To Roger Waters

A video compilation of Hamas fauxtography, dedicated to Pink Floyd's anti-Semite and BDSer Roger Waters.

Nancy Pelosi Believes Africa Is A Country and Hamas Is A Humanitarian Organization

Ret. Lt. Col. Ralph Peters called Nancy Pelosi “dumb as a rock". In case you missed why he referred to her as such, here's the scoop. In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley, the Democratic House Minority Leader was discussing how the Israelis definitely have the right to defend themselves against the barrage of rocket attacks launched into their country by Hamas, but then she said the following:

 “And we have to confer with the Qataris, who have told me over and over again that Hamas is a humanitarian organization. Maybe they could use their influence, uh, to , uh ..”

Crowley cuts her off:

“The U.S. thinks they’re a terrorist organization though, correct? Do you?”

Pelosi responds:

 “Mm-hmm."

 Crowley tries to say something and Pelosi cuts her off with:

"And we’ve had that discussion.”

Video here. 

She also happens to think Africa is a country, at least according to her Twitter post that was soon deleted after the firestorm of ridicule the Tweet received.

And this is the person who served as Speaker of The House from 2007 through 2011, which means if anything had happened to both the President and Vice-President, she would have been next in command.  That's pretty darn scary.

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem Condemn Israel's Genocide In Gaza

Actress Penelope Cruz and her actor hubby Javier Bardem, along with film director Pedro Almodovar and several other Spanish entertainment names, have signed an 'open letter' protesting Israel's incursion into Gaza, calling it "genocide."  Calling what is happening in Gaza 'genocide' is as ignorant as calling Israel an apartheid state, neither of which are true, but they're actors, after all, ruled more by emotion than intellect.

The actors demanded a stronger response by the European Union to stop the military operation that has so far killed more than 1,200 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Civilians, including many children, have made up the majority of those killed in the offensive that Israel says is necessary to stop Hamas firing rockets at its cities.

The letter, printed by Europa Press and other Spanish news outlets, reads: "Gaza is living through horror these days, besieged and attacked by land, sea and air.

"Palestinians' homes are being destroyed, they are being denied water, electricity [and] free movement to their hospitals, schools and fields while the international community does nothing."

Of course, no cognizance or acknowledgment of the fact that Hamas flagrantly uses Gazans as human shields, or that Hamas actually encouraged Gazan citizens to ignore the  IDF's warnings to evacuate the area, leading to more casualties than might have occurred had they fled.

Labelling the Israeli military the "Israel Occupation Forces", it demanded an immediate ceasefire and urged Israel to "lift the blockade, which the Gaza Strip has suffered for more than a decade".

It blamed the latest hostilities on Israel’s advancement into Palestinian territories instead of observing the 1967 borders pre-dating the Six-Day War.

The latest hostilities are a result of a non-stop bombardment of rockets launched by Hamas into Israeli territory. And demanding the lifting of the blockade? How come they don't demand Egypt do the same thing? And the Israelis would be idiots to do that considering Hamas wants to annihilate Israel, it says as much in the Charter.

Others who signed their names to the letter were some lesser known actors and musicians:

Benito Zambrano, actors Lola Herrera, Eduardo Noriega and Rosa Maria Sarda and two musicians, Amaral and Nacho Campillo.

Source: Independent UK

Arab States Remain Silent On Gaza

New York Times article discussing the deafening silence of the Arab States vis a vis the situation in Gaza. In a nutshell- they fear Islamist Hamas more than they hate Israel.  Interesting turn of events.

Battling Palestinian militants in Gaza two years ago, Israel found itself pressed from all sides by unfriendly Arab neighbors to end the fighting.

Not this time.

After the military ouster of the Islamist government in Cairo last year, Egypt has led a new coalition of Arab states — including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — that has effectively lined up with Israel in its fight against Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip. That, in turn, may have contributed to the failure of the antagonists to reach a negotiated cease-fire even after more than three weeks of bloodshed.

“The Arab states’ loathing and fear of political Islam is so strong that it outweighs their allergy to Benjamin Netanyahu,” the prime minister of Israel, said Aaron David Miller, a scholar at the Wilson Center in Washington and a former Middle East negotiator under several presidents.

The rest here.

The Arab States fear political Islam, they see what's happening in neighbouring countries- Syria, Iraq - African countries being overrun by the likes of Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. And yet we have Western tools who are siding with Gaza. Yes, what is happening to the civilians there is tragic, but I fault Hamas.

Son Of Hamas Leader Explains Why We Must Support Israel

The RightScoop has posted Mark Levin's very interesting interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef, the eldest son of one of the founders of Hamas, who explains just what makes the terrorist organization tick, and how he became a critic of his father's group.

Yousef made it crystal clear that Hamas doesn’t just want to destroy the state of Israel, but wants a global caliphate on every inch of land around the world, and he said they will kill as many palestinians as they need to accomplish this goal.

Yousef said the fight that Israel is waging against Hamas isn’t just for their own existence, but for the entire world. He emphasizes that now is the time to support Israel in defeating this evil.

Watch videos here.

Video- Who Is Responsible For The Suffering In Gaza?

StandWithUs has put together a powerful video compilation of interviews and speeches demonstrating just how responsible Hamas is for the suffering of the people in Gaza.

Video here.

Bill Maher Blasts Hamas For Attacking Israel

So yesterday I wrote about Jon Stewart skewering Israel for trying to defend itself.  Sadly, he seems to represent a large portion of humanity that does not see Israel as having that right, with some believing that it has no right to even exist. Hamas has made the latter quite obvious. It's right there in the charter. In light of that fact, the Israelis have exercised an incredible amount of restraint over the decades it's been the target of relentless rocket attacks from Gaza. I mean, what do you do when your neighbours make your life a living hell with aggressive and violent behaviour?  Do you sit back and take it, knowing they want to annihilate your people. Do you leave your borders open knowing that your Palestinian neighbours breed suicide bombers like rabbits, and even honor and celebrate them. That the Palestinians (the P.A. and Hamas) pay the families of those suicide bombers, and the terrorists in Israeli jails are paid a monthly salary. I've seen the houses of people living in sketchy areas of certain cities- the bars on the windows, the locked gates. People just trying to protect themselves and their property. There would be no need for a blockade if the Palestinians stopped provoking Israel. And it's not just Israel, Egypt too has a blockade. No-one seems to care about that.

Bottom line, if the Palestinians wanted peace with Israel, a treaty would have been brokered many moons ago. But they don't want peace, they just want them gone.  And that's not going to happen, as long as Israel has any say in the matter. So they will continue to defend themselves, and the world will continue to see the Palestinians as victims and the Israelis as the evil occupiers, even though Israel does not currently occupy Gaza.

Surprisingly, one liberal has come to Israel's defense.  Then again, it's Bill Maher- one of the few liberals who sees Islamic extremism for what it is- a threat to the Western world.

On his latest HBO show, he acknowledges that Palestinians have a legitimate gripe, but does not agree with the argument from much of the world "that they also have the moral high ground."  Like most of us, he feels bad for the civilians that are dying, but he posits why no-one asks - whose fault is that?

"I feel terrible for a Palestinian child who dies, but if it's your father, your brother, your uncle who's firing those rockets into Israel, who's fault is it really? Do you really expect the Israelis not to retaliate?"

LJReview.com lists the other major points Maher made:

The death of innocents in Palestine is their fault for firing rockets at Israel in the first place.Hamas would kill all Israelis if they could, but even though Israel does have that ability, they do not.Israel must win every single military conflict in order to survive.The Israeli focus on science technology vastly exceeds that of the Arab world.Israelis are right to consider threats to their lives as more important than world opinion.The Palestinians seem to have choosing to be angry refugees as a way of life.Israel isn’t going anywhere and the rest of the world needs to face up to that fact.

I hope some day there is peace in that region, but I 'aint holding my breath.

Hamas Tells Gazans To Become Human Shields, Ignore IDF's Calls To Evacuate

Since Hamas terrorists love to use civilians as human shields, the Israelis warned the people of Gaza to evacuate so they would not become casualties while the IDF targets militants. In response, Hamas officials told them to stay put.

This is how much Hamas respects and honors the people of Gaza.

Video here.

Israeli Hospital Treats Hamas Chief's Sick Grandchild

Hamas would love to see Israel wiped off the map, it's written right there in its Charter. The head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, has also been very adamant about refusing to recognize Israel. In fact, according to Arutz Sheva 7 news:

On Monday, Hamas representatives told students at the Khan Yunes College of Science and Technology that they were working diligently on digging more terror tunnels into Israel during the relative calm, threatening, "we will enter your homes, your schools, your positions and your strongholds."

 Most Palestinians hate the Jews and Israelis, they want nothing to do with them, until they need medical help, that is.  Even Ismail Haniyeh- who had his critically ill 1-year-old grandchild Amal transferred the Schneider Children's Medical Center, in Petah Tikva, Israel. The little girl is suffering from serious digestive problems, and her dad, Abdessalam Haniyeh, posted on Facebook:

 "Amal has crossed the border with Israel now, and I call on God to grant her health.

"I call on God to grant good health to my daughter Amal, who entered in a state of clinical death," he added the next day.

Israel has said they are unaware of the transfer, apparently there are photos on social network sites of granddad Haniyeh visiting the sick child in a Gaza hospital prior to transfer.

Will there be thanks to Israeli for trying to save this child? Doubtful.

Other source: J Post

Video Of IDF Soldiers and Palestinians Dancing Gangnam Style At Wedding

Interesting video of Israeli IDF troops dancing at a Palestinian wedding. The soldiers could be in trouble, however, because some of the Palestinians might have possible ties to Hamas. 

Would peace be possible if the leaders could just get out of the way of the people?

Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh- Palestinians Will Not Recognize Israel

From the lips of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh:

"We had two wars in which hundreds of people died, and thousands of acres of land were destroyed, but Palestinians did not and will not recognize Israel." 

He said this to a bunch of pro-Palestinian international activists a few days ago, thanking them for visiting Gaza, and called on more to come.

Haniyeh said aid groups who visited Gaza in solidarity had a political and a humanitarian message, showing that Gaza did not stand alone.

"These groups, along with the help of God and the Palestinian steadfastness, eased the siege," he added.

Regarding Jerusalem:

"The (Israeli) occupation built a hundred synagogues around al-Aqsa to deceive the world and falsify facts."

I guess he forgets that Christians were in Jerusalem way before Muslims.

And this is why there is no peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Terrorist Summer Camp For Kiddies In Gaza

As Americans ship off their children to summer camp where Joey and Sally might learn some cool things in arts and crafts, swim, hike, enjoy some campfire sing-alongs along with roasted marshmallows, Gazan parents are shipping off Ahmed and Mustafa to terrorist-run summer camps. Those lucky kiddies will get to play with live ammunition and simulate kidnapping IDF soldiers, nothing new, apparently, since they get that in school. Hamas officials expect 100,000 or so young-uns to attend.

Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees are all holding their own summer camp.

The Islamic group's leader in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh said the goal of the summertime activities is to instill children with values, strengthen their moral core and spread the spirit of Jihad.

Parents do have other choices.

UNHCR, UN's refugee agency, offers a summer camp centered on sports.

The agency said it expects some 150,000 children to attend its camps spread all along the coastal enclave. In previous years UNRWA's camp facilities were vandalized in protest for their instilling values incompatible with those of terror groups.

H/T CAMERA

Hamas Destroys Part Of UNESCO Site To Make Room For Terror Camp

Anthedon Harbor in Gaza has been around for 3,000 years. UNESCO has placed it on its tentative list of ancient treasures, but it obviously didn't have much worth to the Gazans since Hamas razed part of the site to make room for a large military (read terror) training camp.

Perhaps the reason they have no respect for Anthedon Harbor is because it predates Islamic rule. Then again, Mali militants have destroyed designated UNESCO ancient sites in Timbuktu that were Islamic, so I guess it just doesn't matter. Violence trumps heritage in the case of some Muslims.

The military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, bulldozed a part of the ancient Anthedon Harbor in northern Gaza along the Mediterranean Sea last month, the Al-Monitor news website reported.

The 3,000-year-old seaport discovered in 1997 was named an international heritage site by UNESCO in 2012, and is the oldest harbor in Gaza. It contains mosaic floors with historical pillars from the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic ages, according to Al-Monitor.

“Due to rising population in the region, the ministry appreciates the urgent need for using new pieces of land,” the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism said in a statement, Al-Monitor reported. “This is why the ministry has agreed with the different responsible parties on using a limited part of the location temporarily in a way that won’t harm the underground monuments there in any way.”

Much of the port is covered with sand to protect the artifacts until they can be excavated.

The deputy tourism minister in Gaza, Muhammad Khela, told Al-Monitor, “We can’t stand as an obstacle in the way of Palestinian resistance; we are all a part of a resistance project, yet we promise that the location will be limitedly used without harming it at all.” He added that if UNESCO had excavated the seaport, it could not have been taken over.

UNESCO is silent.

“UNESCO’s admission of Palestine as a member state in 2011, which caused the organization to lose almost a quarter of its budget when the U.S. suspended its contributions, was justified as a measure to help protect world heritage sites in Palestinian areas,” the letter said. “Yet as Hamas turns a cultural heritage site into a terrorist training ground — the antithesis of culture — the silence of UNESCO now places the very credibility of the organization at stake.” [Letter from UN Watch to UNESCO]

Remind me why we send Palestine aid?

Mahmoud Abbas: Hamas Has Same Policies As the PA So Remove Them From Terrorist Lists

On 'Russia Today' Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas claims there is no difference between the policies of the PA and those of Hamas, so why should they be labeled as terrorists. This was in response to the possibility of the EU removing Hamas from its list of terrorist organizations.

"In my opinion, (the EU) can remove Hamas (from the list), why not?"

The interviewer then asks:

"But do you not fire missiles at Israel?"

And this is where it gets interesting. Mahmoud replies:

"Neither we nor Hamas fire missiles. [snip] ..we have no intention or desire to violate, or rather to engage in an armed Intifada with Israel. [snip] Hamas declared (the same), but then there were skirmishes once or twice. Hopefully that was the end of it."

Well, not quite Mahmoud. Several rockets from Gaza made their way into Israel to greet President Barack Obama as he was leaving Jerusalem for Ramallah in the West Bank.

Hamas doesn't fire missiles? Does he think we're stupid?

Gatestone Institute's Khaled Abu Toameh's has an interesting take on Hamas' bid to be removed from the U.S. and E.U.'s terrorist list:

Hamas wants to be dropped from the list not because it has changed. Rather, Hamas wants to be removed from the list because it feels that the world has changed, and that many naïve Westerners are now willing to tolerate its radical ideology and terrorism.

Anyone who supports Hamas's bid should also vote in favor of removing Al-Qaeda from the same list.

And if the PA has the same policies as those of Hamas, then perhaps the PA should be added to the list of terrorist organizations.

UNRWA Cancels Gaza Marathon After Hamas Bars Female Runners

Gaza was set for its third annual international marathon on April 10th. Hosted by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the near east (UNRWA), some 807 people were readying to participate.

551 locals and 256 international runners. Of that number, 385 are female – 266 from Gaza and 119 from overseas. [snip] Another 1,600 schoolchildren, girls and boys, were also to have joined the race.

That is, until the neanderthals in Hamas decided that this year (unlike the past two) no women over the age of 16 would be allowed to participate. So, UNRWA opted to cancel the whole thing.

In a statement on UNRWA's website:

UNRWA regrets to announce that it has cancelled the third Gaza marathon which was to be held on 10 April. This follows the decision by the authorities in Gaza not to allow women to participate.

Registered participants who still wish to come to Gaza are welcome and UNRWA is working on a programme of other events, which will be forwarded to those interested as soon as possible.

UNRWA is disappointed with this decision, and sincerely regrets the inconvenience this may cause to those who planned to participate in the marathon.

The ones who will suffer are the children, as they oft do in those countries.

For the past three years, the annual UNRWA Gaza Marathon has raised funds for UNRWA’s summer programme for children in Gaza. In the past, local parents have praised the initiative as a welcome break from the difficulties of life in Gaza. 

But Palestinians don't seem to care too much about their offspring, other than grooming them to be suicide bombers, so this probably doesn't really matter.

Hamas probably thought UNRWA would cave and allow the race to continue, but thankfully they did not, at least for now.  Who knows if they will eventually relent, since they did mention something about working on some kind of alternative.

Of the decision to cancel, cabinet secretary of Hamas- Abdessalam Siyyam told AFP:

"We regret this decision to cancel the marathon but we don't want men and women running together."

"We did not tell UNRWA to cancel the marathon and we haven't prevented it, but we laid down some conditions: We don't want women and men mixing in the same place."

Oh well. Too bad.

Source: Al-Akhbar.com, UNRWA