The war crimes of Hamas

Three weeks ago Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Multiple thousands of rockets were launched at Israeli targets, killing hundreds, but I suppose that to some people this seemed unremarkable. Rocket attacks? It's happened before and it will happen again. That's what Iron Dome is for, isn't it?

Of course the attack was far more brutal and monstrous than that. But even at this late date I wonder if everyone entirely understands the nature of the hundreds (or thousands) of war crimes committed by Hamas during their attack:

• Thousands of Hamas soldiers swarmed into Israel and slaughtered everyone they could find. Many of the bodies showed signs of torture and rape.
• Among the dead were children and babies, some of whom were burned alive.
• Soldiers in paragliders and pickup trucks attacked a music festival and methodically gunned down nearly every person there.
• Hamas fighters have taken more than 200 civilian hostages who are currently being held in Gaza.

I'm not sure why I'm writing this. Everyone already knows all about it, don't they? I wonder. Maybe not.

Now, as sickening as this all is, it doesn't justify Israel's ongoing campaign to deprive two million civilian Palestinians of food, water, and fuel. And God only knows what they're going to do when they finally start their ground offensive in Gaza. I can only hope it's less barbarous than I suspect it will be.

There are—and have been for decades—plenty of recriminations to go around on all sides for the endless cycle of war and killing in Israel and Palestine. There are no clean hands here. That said, Hamas started this war, and did so in the most brutal and repellent way imaginable. We can all plead for a certain level of restraint from Israel, but we can hardly be shocked that they're committed to destroying Hamas once and for all. The blame for that is easy to place.