At least fourteen Gazans were killed and over 1,100 were reportedly wounded in Hamas-instigated mass protests and riots along the Israel-Gaza border. Hamas is singlehandedly responsible for every one of those deaths and injuries.
Israel must use heavy-handed tactics to quell riots in which Gazans attempt to violently storm the border of a sovereign nation. The Times of Israel reported on the deadly tactics used by the so-called protesters: “Rioters threw firebombs and stones at troops, tried to bomb and breach the security fence, and burned tires.” Today’s carnage follows numerous attempted terrorist attacks and infiltrations along the Gaza border during the past six days.
The international news media has largely failed to provide proper context for the “protests” taking place today, framing the events as grassroots demonstrations aiming to secure a Palestinian state.
The AFP, for example, reported:
Tens of thousands of Gazans took to the streets Friday in mass protests calling for Palestinians to be allowed to return to land that their ancestors fled from in the 1948 war but that is now part of Israel.
The AFP, like scores of other news outlets, is seemingly uninterested in asking the simple question: Why the protests now? The shallow coverage misses the fact that the Hamas terrorist organization meticulously planned today’s unrest, and they have been openly calling for a series of upcoming border clashes with Israel slated to peak next month during Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.
Hamas has been selling the mass protest movement as “return rallies”, marketing the fiction that Palestinians have a so-called right of return to the state of Israel.
Hamas, famous for its use of civilians as human shields, has in reality been cynically utilizing the Palestinian protesters to stir up tension along the Gaza border out of sheer desperation over its increasingly desperate predicament.
The Islamist terrorist group understands the Gaza population is frustrated that 11 years of Hamas rule has resulted in destructive wars – launched each time by Hamas itself – and an economy dangerously teetering on the brink of collapse. Hamas’s decision to turn Gaza into a terrorist enclave has prompted an Israel-Egypt boycott that has impacted all aspects of Gaza life, although Israel allows for truckloads of humanitarian goods and supplies per day to enter Gaza.
Gazan’s are also suffering from the Hamas-Fatah divide, with the rulers of the West Bank and Gaza Strip failing to reach a reconciliation agreement that would likely result in the flow of aid to Gaza.
Hamas views Israel’s upcoming 70th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s historic decision to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem as perfect opportunities to channel Gazans anger and redirect the rage toward the easiest target – Israel.
Hamas knows the ensuing casualty count will bring international news media attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and it will thrust the issue to the forefront of the foreign policy debate.
The border clashes may also press Egypt into easing the blockade and putting Egyptian pressure on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party to reach a reconciliation deal since Gaza tensions usually favor the jihadists operating against Egypt in the Sinai. Abbas must fear that the protests could spread to the West Bank and threaten his rule there.
Lastly, Hamas may also be signaling to Iran and to other potential state patrons that Hamas is still the dominant player in Gaza and that it is useful to financially support the terrorist movement once again.
In failing to provide the full context for the deadly border riots, the news media are unwittingly helping Hamas achieve its objectives.
Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.
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