While watching a brief film clip of scenes from Israel's assault on Gaza, on The Guardian newpaper's web site, I saw what sure look like air-burst, cluster bombs going off right above Palestinian houses in Northern Gaza.

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I mean the mid-air explosions that kind of look like holiday fireworks. The shower of little bright things appear to be the cluster munition bomblets.

If it is true, that the Israelis are again, as in Lebanon, using these despicable weapons against civilian, even urban, areas, the individuals who ordered it should be treated as the criminals they clearly are.

You wouldn't know a cluster bomb from a jelly donut.

Jack

"using these despicable weapons against civilian, even urban, areas"

It's sort of hard to find other areas in Gaza. I checked on Google Earth, and it does not look like the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has signage outside its vast military facilities, where civilians are restricted.

Said differently, Israel's enemies place themselves among civilians to increase collateral damage, and inspire you to call their enemies criminals. It's working pretty well.

Said differently, Israel's enemies place themselves among civilians to increase collateral damage, and inspire you to call their enemies criminals. It's working pretty well.

It works on idiots....like this top poster, but not on anyone with a brain.

Jack

I hope nobody ever leaves a few thousand unexploded cluster bomblets scattered around your property.

I have wondered the same thing. The use of phosphorus, cluster bombs, and more than likely depleted uranium was used in Lebanon, so why not against the Palestinians. The U.S. has done the same against civilian populations in at least three different countries.

Palestine has no standing army, navy, or airforce. So why are we calling this a war? Why did we call the attack on Iraq a war, for the same reason.

Who was firing all those rockets into Israeli neighborhoods?

Jack

"Said differently, Israel's enemies place themselves among civilians to increase collateral damage, and inspire you to call their enemies criminals. It's working pretty well."

The population of the Gaza strip is about 1.5 million. The size of the Gaza strip is about 360 square kilometers. The makes the population density, according to wikipedia, just over 4000 people per square kilometer.

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Contrast that with Israel, which has a population density of 324 people per square kilometer.

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So I'll tell you what. Get Israel to give the Palestinians their land back and I'm sure they will be more than willing to spread things out. Otherwise it seems like the only option for Palestinians is to either have no military at all or have one in densely populated ares.

They considered calling them simply, "Murderous Criminal Activites," but that failed to receive White House approval.

Munitions may kill people, but it is also people who are using them and aiming them. Let's face it, their aim is not so great. And guess who has the most and most deadly.

Where in the Gaza do you expect people to go to avoid citizen involvement? It is one of the most crowded places on the planet.

When should Israel discontinue their own attacks on the Palestinians? How much do you really know about the history of the region, the way it was established, and how barbaric Israeli military and even civilians treat Palestinians, including shooting children on rooftops as if they are birds.

Who has the biggest damned guns? Who has blockaded the Gaza? Who bulldozed fruit and olive trees, poisoned wells along with homes? Also take a look at what Israel has done to Lebanon. Don't you think overkill is a good word here? Or apartheid. There are many words.

So I'll tell you what. Get Israel to give the Palestinians their land back and I'm sure they will be more than willing to spread things out. Otherwise it seems like the only option for Palestinians is to either have no military at all or have one in densely populated ares.

It's not the Palestinian's land. The land belongs to the Jews.

Jack

Thank you, and I extend the same to you and yours. The Goodness compound looks pretty secure this morning. The cluster bomblets are in the form of sweetgum-balls which, though stable as munitions, and killing me nonetheless.

So I'll tell you what. Get Israel to give the Palestinians their land back and I'm sure they will be more than willing to spread things out. Otherwise it seems like the only option for Palestinians is to either have no military at all or have one in densely populated ares.

Hello acro -

By "give the land back", do you mean the lately conquered territories, or all of Israel, or do you see no distinction?

I am not at all sure that any Jewish state would be safe from militant Jihadism, whether in Palestine or elsewhere. Either way, it is inconceivable that the Israelis will just fold up their tent and move away.

The Palestinians in Gaza have no military now. They instead have collections of foreign-funded terrorists - in civilian areas - who exist only to oppress the population and fulfill Hamas' intent of eliminating Israel. Their placement among civilians is both by choice and by circumstance, as you point out.

At least we still have freedom.

When should Israel discontinue their own attacks on the Palestinians? How much do you really know about the history of the region, the way it was established, and how barbaric Israeli military and even civilians treat Palestinians, including shooting children on rooftops as if they are birds.

Who has the biggest damned guns? Who has blockaded the Gaza? Who bulldozed fruit and olive trees, poisoned wells along with homes? Also take a look at what Israel has done to Lebanon. Don't you think overkill is a good word here? Or apartheid. There are many words.

First, stay the hell out of my lake. The fishing is difficult enough already.

To your actual points, I think Israel should stop killing its neighbors and enemies at exactly the moment that the Jihadists pose no threat to her citizens or her existence. The history of this delightful region has been shoved down my throat every day of my life. I would prefer to know a lot less than I do.

You've heard the old saying about not bringing a baseball bat to a gunfight. It is my opinion that Israel's military acquits itself well in every conflict in terms of 1) winning and 2) trying to avoid civilian casualties. There is no history of success on either point from her enemies. In fact, her enemies have largely declined to actually fight the IDF since 1967. They prefer to attack her civilians, her Olympians, and Jews in general. I would prefer to have my well poisoned to being beheaded on Al-Jazeera. There is no monopoly on barbarism.

As to overkill, capable militaries kill better than terrorists. Would you feel better about the Israelis if they could muster only yarmulke-wearing suicide-bombers?