Marco Rubio: Hamas to Blame for Gaza Casualties

[Karee 4,189]

Marco Rubio sucks up to AIPAC.

Civilian casualties in Gaza during the increasing violence with Israel is "100 percent" the fault of Hamas, the militant Islamic group that controls the Palestinian enclave, Sen. Marco Rubio said Thursday.

In a speech on the Senate floor, the Florida Republican said the Jewish state was being unfairly blamed for the rising death toll in Gaza.





News reports say Gaza residents have been told to ignore Israeli phone calls warning of strikes and urging them to evacuate.

The Washington Free Beacon reports the policy is an effort by Hamas to garner international sympathy at the increased death toll.

"It is tragic, unfortunately, that civilians are dying in Gaza," Rubio said. "But the reason why civilians are dying is 100 percent Hamas’ fault.

"You see, this is an organization that puts rockets and military installations right next to nurseries and hospitals and civilian population centers. You know why they do that? They do that because they know that when they launch a rocket, Israel will respond by hitting that rocket launcher, and when that rocket launcher is destroyed, so are the areas around it, and then they can get the cameras to go in there and say, 'Look what Israel did. They wiped out a nursery or an apartment building.'"

Hamas know exactly what they’re doing to get positive news coverage, Rubio said.

"Israel is fighting for their very survival," Rubio said. "On the other side of this conflict is a terrorist organization bent on their destruction."

He also blasted the Obama administration’s stance toward the Jewish state in its relations with Palestine.

"I was concerned about the amount of pressure that the secretary of state was placing on the Israelis to enter into a negotiation with a Palestinian authority that didn’t have the authority or the power to reach a peace agreement they could possibly enforce, much less deliver on," Rubio said.

"I was concerned that that pressure was being put on them at a time when Israel faced so many other challenges, the No. 1 being the ambitions that Iran has to acquire a nuclear weapon and long-range rockets that could strike Israel and eventually the mainland of the United States."

The impassioned speech came the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to begin a ground offensive in Gaza.

"Following 10 days of Hamas attacks by land, air, and sea, and after repeated rejections of offers to de-escalate the situation, the Israel Defense Forces has initiated a ground operation within the Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Israel "will pay dearly" for the assault. "Hamas is ready for a confrontation," he said, according to The Washington Post.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Marco-Rubio-Hamas-Gaza-Israel/2014/07/17/id/583428#ixzz37vGjkWBe

[decocker 7,198]

"I was concerned that that pressure was being put on them at a time when Israel faced so many other challenges, the No. 1 being the ambitions that Iran has to acquire a nuclear weapon and long-range rockets that could strike Israel and eventually the mainland of the United States."

never gets old.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Egypt also blames Hamas

Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Arabi said Hamas was “shedding the blood of innocent Palestinians” by attacking Israel.

Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Arabi said Thursday that Hamas was not serious about a cease-fire – and that the terror group was deliberately trying to embarrass Egypt. Speaking in an interview in anEgyptian newspaper, Al-Arabi blamed Hamas for not only failing to come to a cease-fire, but for “shedding the blood of innocent Palestinians” by continuing to attack Israel.

“Hamas does not want Egypt to fulfill its obligations as a negotiator between the two sides,” Al-Arabi said. “They do this at the cost of the blood of innocent Palestinians” who are caught up in the Israeli response to the rocket attacks. During the nine days of Operation Protective Edge, the IDF has caused a massive amount of damage in Gaza, destroying buildings that were used by terrorists to fire rockets at Israel. Despite Israel’s efforts to avoid civilian casualties, some 200 people have been killed in Gaza so far, more than half of them Hamas terrorists.

Hamas on Monday rejected Egypt’s proposed ceasefire, as Arab foreign ministers in Cairo called on “all parties” to accept the proposal. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group would not accept a truce without a full-fledged deal to end hostilities, according to AFP. “A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don’t cease fire and then negotiate,” he told the news agency.

Earlier Thursday, a Hamas official said that Israel would have to “pay a price” if it wanted a cease-fire. Mohammed Nazel said that Israel “has to promise, with international guarantees, that they will stop attacking Gaza. Second, they have to open up all the passages between Gaza and the rest of the world. In addition they have to allow free movement in Gaza.”

Al-Arabi said that negotiations on Hamas’ conditions could be conducted under Egyptian auspices after the rocket firing stop. “The main thing is to stop the fighting,” he said, adding that the lives of many Gaza Arabs was at stake.

For more click LINK

Egypt blames Hamas for IDF's ground offensive

[JohnR! 5,495]

I blame it on Obama. There. Someone had to say it.

[Pooky 3,365]

Someone had to say it.

No they didn't.

[Karee 4,189]

Egypt also blames Hamas

Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Arabi said Hamas was “shedding the blood of innocent Palestinians” by attacking Israel.

Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Arabi said Thursday that Hamas was not serious about a cease-fire – and that the terror group was deliberately trying to embarrass Egypt. Speaking in an interview in anEgyptian newspaper, Al-Arabi blamed Hamas for not only failing to come to a cease-fire, but for “shedding the blood of innocent Palestinians” by continuing to attack Israel.

“Hamas does not want Egypt to fulfill its obligations as a negotiator between the two sides,” Al-Arabi said. “They do this at the cost of the blood of innocent Palestinians” who are caught up in the Israeli response to the rocket attacks. During the nine days of Operation Protective Edge, the IDF has caused a massive amount of damage in Gaza, destroying buildings that were used by terrorists to fire rockets at Israel. Despite Israel’s efforts to avoid civilian casualties, some 200 people have been killed in Gaza so far, more than half of them Hamas terrorists.

Hamas on Monday rejected Egypt’s proposed ceasefire, as Arab foreign ministers in Cairo called on “all parties” to accept the proposal. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group would not accept a truce without a full-fledged deal to end hostilities, according to AFP. “A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don’t cease fire and then negotiate,” he told the news agency.

Earlier Thursday, a Hamas official said that Israel would have to “pay a price” if it wanted a cease-fire. Mohammed Nazel said that Israel “has to promise, with international guarantees, that they will stop attacking Gaza. Second, they have to open up all the passages between Gaza and the rest of the world. In addition they have to allow free movement in Gaza.”

Al-Arabi said that negotiations on Hamas’ conditions could be conducted under Egyptian auspices after the rocket firing stop. “The main thing is to stop the fighting,” he said, adding that the lives of many Gaza Arabs was at stake.

For more click LINK

Egypt blames Hamas for IDF's ground offensive

Former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Arabi

What's the current foreign minister's take on it? I'd think he would probably agree. However, I believe former politicians should keep their mouth shut when it comes to current political affairs.

See ####### Cheney.

ETA: Nice filtering. Ok then Richard Cheney. I guess the former VP should look in to getting his named changed to something more "family friendly"

Edited July 19, 2014 by Karee

[Expat1 971]

Palestinians were packed into camps like animals before there was ever a "Hamas" to blame for it. Next

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't see how you can say it's their fault when you know you are shooting at civilians because they hide behind them. Morally, you can't remove yourself from the equation.

You know the civilians are there, you're just making the choice to attack them anyway.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

See ####### Cheney.

I always knew the former Vice President was not family friendly.

[OriZ 3,157]

100% Hamas fault. Everyone knows this.

Well, everyone that counts anyway.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/egyptian-tv-accuses-hamas-leaders-of-living-in-luxury-while-their-people-die/

[Expat1 971]

100% Hamas fault. Everyone knows this.

Well, everyone that counts anyway.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/egyptian-tv-accuses-hamas-leaders-of-living-in-luxury-while-their-people-die/

Keep believing your cartoons and keep blaming your victims in the press. It worked for the Nazis and it should surely help ease your conscience while a different group of people get rounded up behind fences and walls, lose their national identity, have their property confiscated, and slowly get exterminated

Edited July 20, 2014 by Expat1

[JohnR! 5,495]

Rubio does it again and sticks his foot in his big mouth....

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't see how you can say it's their fault when you know you are shooting at civilians because they hide behind them. Morally, you can't remove yourself from the equation.

You know the civilians are there, you're just making the choice to attack them anyway.

Exactly, hit the nail squarely on the peg. You do not make it right by blaming the other side for placing civilians in the way. It's not right so there has to be another solution. Eventually, there is going to be compromise on this issue by both sides or one of the other side will be annihilated and everyone will have that blood on their hands. Effectively imprisoning a small nation because you do not want to even think about making a compromise let alone acting on one is not a solution.

[OriZ 3,157]

He said Nazi! *drinks*

[OriZ 3,157]

My conscience is very clean. In fact, I bet I am a much better person than you. Yes, even being in Vermont for over a year one of the most liberal states in the union has not changed my opinion that Israel has a right to defend itself. Some people thought it would "open my eyes". Open my eyes to what exactly? RIP to the brave Israel soldiers who died and god speed. They are doing a sacred duty so that what occured 75 years ago will not happen again.

I bet the Nazis did this, too:

http://unitedwithisrael.org/idf-opens-field-hospital-to-treat-injured-palestinians/