Qassam explodes near kindergarten

[henank]

Miracle south of Ashkelon: A Qassam rocket exploded near a kindergarten in a kibbutz within the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council on Tuesday morning just as dozens of parents were bringing their children to school.

A 14-year-old girl was lightly injured by shrapnel and glass fragments. She was evacuated to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. Several people suffered from shock, including a young boy and a gas-truck driver.

The Qassam exploded at around 8 am on, just seconds after the 'code red' siren was sounded. Residents rushed to take cover. The injured 14 year old was in her home, not far from the kindergarten.

Some of the children were already in the kindergarten when the rocket exploded nearby. Kindergarten teacher Ronit told Ynet, "I was on the path that leads to the kindergarten when I heard the siren. I ran towards the children in the building.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4002195,00.html

[henank]

1. These are not "harmless fireworks"

For those who claim that the rockets don't hurt anyone and therefore they are "harmless fireworks", please note the main reason that Israelis aren't more seriously hurt:

"The kindergarten itself is a bomb shelter, so there was no reason to move anyone. The children were relatively calm. Right after the explosion the children started coloring."

If the Palestinians would take as much care to protect their civilian population as the Israelis do, they too would not get hurt. Even better, if the Palestinians would stop firing rockets at Israeli civilians, they would not get hurt in return.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. They're not, but what you said about Palestinians was revolting...

If the Palestinians would take as much care to protect their civilian population as the Israelis do, they too would not get hurt. Even better, if the Palestinians would stop firing rockets at Israeli civilians, they would not get hurt in return.

So Israel bombs the fuck out of Gaza, kills hundreds of civilians, and to you it's not Israel's fault. That's every bit as revolting an attitude as someone who tries to justify attacks on Israeli civilians by blaming the Israeli govt for it, not those who carry out the attacks...

btw, how are Palestinians in Gaza supposed to build themselves bomb shelters when Israel's imposed a blockade and doesn't allow building materials in? Or are we supposed to ignore tiny details like that?

[henank]

7. No, Israel did not

bomb the "fuck" (whatever that may be) out of Gaza. Israel bombed Hamas installations. Hamas installs its rockets and installations within civilian areas. They themselves admit such, as do the UN. There was no blockade on Gaza before the Gaza war. There was nothing to stop them building shelters for their people but this would ruin their narrative that Israel deliberately targets and harms civilians.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Israel most definately did bomb the fuck out of Gaza. Have you already forgotten OCL?

I know the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians is not nearly as horrific as an unguided rocket landing near a kindergarden, so it could well have slipped out of everyone's memories by now...

I don't think yr understanding something very important. There's no justification for killing civilians the way Israel does, and that initial post trying to justify it and blaming the Palestinians themselves for what Israel does was absolutely revolting. As is insisting that a people under a blockade that stops building material from entering Gaza (btw, the blockade started June 2007 and OCL was December 2008 and there is no state of war that started on a particular day), and instead of being opposed to bombing civilians, blame the civilians for not having built bomb shelters in the first place....

[oberliner]

17. Reality-challenged post

Maybe consider revisiting the events of that time frame.

[Hardrada]

2. Zionist propaganda.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Actually it is real world truth

Hamas sends unguided weapons into known civilian areas knowing full well that the IDF will return fire. They do it from civilian areas using them as shields.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. Actually that's not real world truth at all...

It's just another attempt to justify the bombing of civilian areas by the IDF. What's a 'civilian area' anyway?

[oberliner]

16. Completely true and in fact cited by numerous human rights group

Perhaps some HRW reports ought to be looked at more closely?

[henank]

6. Sure it's propaganda

Ynet just made it all up. A missile didn't really fall near a kindergarten. Palestinians would never dream of firing rockets at Israeli communities. :sarcasm:

[Violet_Crumble]

11. That's not what propaganda is defined as...

I think yr mistaking the word 'lie' with 'propaganda'. Do you know what propaganda is? It's the use of information to promote a cause and to influence the views of a population. Things can be factually correct and still be used as propaganda. It's been used a lot during conflicts and there's different sorts, like white propaganda (as I remember it, that was a more gentle and open form of propaganda) and black propaganda, which is stuff being spread that's made out to come from one source, but actually comes from another, and is meant to vilify the source it's being claimed to have come from. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is an example of black propaganda...

[henank]

13. You're the one confusing one with the other

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is not propaganda, black, white, pink or purple. It's outright lies, plain and simple.

Why is it Zionist propaganda to report on missiles being shot towards a kindergarten, but it is not Palestinian propaganda to claim that "thousands of civilians are killed by the IDF"?

[Violet_Crumble]

14. No, I actually understand what propaganda is...

I didn't explain it clearly enough, so let's try again. Saying something is propaganda does not mean someone is saying it's a lie. Factual things can be propaganda. Things that aren't true can also be propaganda. Anyone with an understanding of propaganda knows that The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a good example of black propaganda. It was a forgery that was produced with the intent of vilifying Jews and making people think there was a vast Jewish conspiracy happening. It was clearly untrue, but because of how it was created and spread, it's definately black propaganda. There are other examples of black propaganda if you need more given to you...

And I've got no idea why yr asking me that question. I'm not the one who said the OP was propganda. I just corrected yr mistaken belief that if someone calls something propgaganda, they're saying it's not true...

[oberliner]

15. Thanks for pointing that out

It is hard to imagine the hoops some people go through at times.

[henank]

8. Dupe. s/d

[LeftishBrit]

10. You mean you don't think it happened?

Attacking civilian areas is always wrong.

No, the rockets don't justify all the things that Israel does.

No, the things that the Israeli government does don't justify all the things that Palestinian 'militants' do.

And so ad infinitum. Constant vicious circle.

But if you think that the fact of a rocket attack is just 'Zionist propaganda', well, I don't know what to say to you.

[Violet_Crumble]

12. Saying something's propaganda doesn't mean someone thinks it didn't happen...

That's NOT what propaganda is about. I just posted something explaining how propaganda is defined...

[oberliner]

18. Your explanation is wrong

Erroneous posts cannot go unchallenged.

[jimmie]

19. Very bad

things have calmed down and then they start lobbing bombs.

at civilians. bad

[oberliner]

20. Agreed

Some elements seem to want an escalation of the conflict.

The near future, sadly, does not look bright.