VIDEO / Meshal: Hamas ready to probe Goldstone report

@CJ Israel accepts it`s rockets, artillery, missiles are so accurate but they still kill civilians, why do they fire them in the first place? That proves the cowardice of HAMAS. They fired rockets from schools, residential buildings, mosques and hospitals. That is nature of terrorism - to use their propaganda tool to dupr lestist liberals of your ilk. Israel massed its awesome military arsenal on the Gaza Border. Hamas was too frightened to take them on the front. Despite constant warnings, Hamas did nothing to ensure the safety of their women and children

If you would take the time and bother to read the Hamas Charter, you would find that it specifically calls for the destruction of Israel Hamas has repeatedly stated that it would NEVER recognize a Jewish State or live alongside of it Yes, the choice WAS in Israel's hands, it gave Gaza to the Palestinian's, which resulted in thousands of rockets & mortar rounds being fired by Hamas & friends into Israel, as a token of thanks and appreciation Where you been, you seemed to have missed it all??

Is Israel afraid of speaking with Hamas because, just maybe it would find a peace partner!!! If Israel wants peace it has to speak with Hamas and if Israel wants instability then continue what it has been doing for 60+ years. The choice is Israel's to make - peace or war?

International & Arab aid which was pocketed and spent on weapons.

Israel has rather consistently outkilled its opponents by wide margins: about 9 to 1 between establishment and the second intifada, about 3 to 1 during the second intifada, and about a 100 to 1 in the goldfish-in-a-bowl shootup in Gaza. It seems that Israel wants credit for not killing near as many civilians as can kill if it was being really indiscriminate. It also seems that Israel wants its opponents condemned for the fact that their victims are almost entirely civilian. Fine. Give such credit and blame accordingly, for what it's worth. But remember that Israeli overkill is true in both military AND civilian categories. Israel has killed many armed opponents for each Israeli soldier who has died. And Israel has killed many Palestinian civilians for each Israeli civilian who died at Palestinian hands. I, for one, am tired of the excuses for this disproportionality.

Mr. Meshal here feels the need to claim that he prefers military targets to civilian. I find that heartening. I do not myself believe in the doctrine of double effect that Mr. Meshal espouses---that it is okay to do something with nasty side effects as long as they aren't directly intended. Goldstone and most international lawyers don't seem to believe that either. But it is extremely clear that US action in Iraq and Afghanistan and Israeli action in Gaza rest at least as heavily on the doctrine of double effect. Mr. Netanyahu's call for revised international law is at root a call to legitimize double effect as now practiced by the powerful and relatively powerful.

You said "Instead of wasting bhis money on useless rockets, why did he not use this money to take his people out of the refugee camps and set up decent living standards for the women children and elderly?" They are locked in an open air prison, where do you propose they set up these wonderful amenities? Or perhaps you think that Gaza is a beautiful ocean front park.

You said "they should consider themselves lucky they have even have Gaza and the West Bank and lets leave it at that." Yes they have Gaza, an open air prison and it is blockaded. The West Bank, cut up into many sections, lots of check points, constant humiliation, restrictions, inability to access farms and schools. Yes, they should consider themselves lucky.

Peace for peace with the territory you have is all that will ever be available. That is unless there is another war. Than if Marshaal is lucky, there will be no territory and he will be speaking from Morocco.

With actual film showing missiles being fired from urban areas, and hitting urban areas. And speehes from Hamas leaders talking about annihilating the Jews. It would be amazing to see how any of them get through by not being indicted for war crimes. I honestly believe that the Goldstone report offers an opporunity to gravely embarrass not only Hamas but the Palestinian leadership, their sympathizers and the UN itself. But if Israeli leaders are too stupid to at least try and investigate its own soldiers in an impartial way then this golden oppurunity will evaporate and Israeli soldiers protectors of the state will be left swinging in the wind.

Since Hamas did, then they have to suffer with the results Let's not forget that it was the combined Arab Armies that attacked Israel in May 1948 Don't talk about legalities when your side started the mess against contrary to the UN's Partition Plan, it makes you sound like a crybaby, bellyaching about spilled milk

what you have to say, it's of no importance to anyone at all, especially to Israel or Hamas As far as the rest of the world is concerned, you're amusing yourself by hanging out at your keyboard

"Hamas does not aim to kill civilians. Hamas does not want to target the civilians," he said. "Hamas defends itself, but because it has simple abilities and its rockets are inaccurate in targeting, so it reaches the civilians, but we do not intend to do that." - Khaled Meschal Mr. Meschal has admitted guilt. The intention to harm civilians is not the inculpating fact. That he is aware that the means he uses to attack is incapable of achieving a legitimate military objective and is almost certain to only harm civilians is proof that he and his organization has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. I suspect that I know why my prior post making this point was censored. There are uncomfortable parallels.

Hamas' targets were cities not locations within cities--their rocket ordinance range and targeting was so imprecise that, technically speaking and observable in the modus operandi of their firing as filmed, their sole purpose could only be to terrify Israeli cities within their general range on the cheap. Which explains the kindergartens and playgrounds regularly hit without any military targets of note in the area. Israel's issue is that the massive use of graded-accurate ordnance, from smart bombs to helicopter and drone launched rockets, to mortars and on to tanks and artillery mathematically guarantees for each mix of ordnance a percentage of overshoot or undershoot radiating out from their targets--and civilians will be wounded or killed within those boundaries, inevitably. Civilians are not, as claimed by anti-Israel propaganda deliberately targeted per se, but they will die. This is a standard dilemma of war that at a certain scale does become questionable.

that Hamas targeted Israeli civilians. That means so much. Not only did they target them once but 8,000 times before Israel invaded, committing their very own war crimes. Had Hamas refrained from firing these rockets, would Israel have invaded. What do you think all knowing one?

Sure, they are also most welcome to inspect Israeli jail cells from within. Heck, they're even most welcome to stay in them for a while.

The "oops" defence is quite popular.... Paragraph 346. of the IDF report on Gaza: " The IDF sought to maintain a safety distance of several hundred metres from sensitive sites, including the UNRWA compound. Despite the maintenance of a safety distance, some felt wedges and other components of the projectiles apparently landed in the compound after the release of the felt wedges in the air. The IDF neither intended nor anticipated this outcome." Paragraph 541 of the Goldstone report: "At least three high explosive shells and seven white phosphorous container shells struck the workshop and warehouse area of the compound causing massive damage as a result of ensuing fires. Five of the shells exploded in the compound including all three high explosive shells. Two complete container shells of white phosphorous were retrieved. Five additional white phosphorous shells were retrieved but not in their complete form. These five shells deposited large amounts of the phosphorus wedges"

Hamas leader: "Rockets are inaccurate in targeting." Then don't fire them! What possible military objective can they serve? Just terrorize civilians, that's their purpose and capability, yet all the Jew haters and anti Israeli zealots don't say a word about it. Disgusting!

The obvious next step is to hear you demand that Palestinian leaders and field commanders be put on trial for war crimes. This isn't just Hamas leaders, but Fatah too. Goldstone made it very clear that Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians are war crimes. This means that attacks over the past decades are also war crimes. All the bus bombings, restaurant bombings, drive-by shootings, car bombings, knifings in the streets - all the attacks aimed at Israeli civilians are war crimes. This means that the Fatah leadership as well is accused and must stand trial. For decades they encouraged and endorsed attacks against Israeli civilians. If it's time for war crimes trials, then all alleged war criminals must stand trial - and there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Palestinians who will face charges.

"Its not our fault etc" The standard reply to everything.

- you stand up & don't remain seated? one more question: how come international law doesn't contain a paragraph yet on "insulting the intelligence of the whole world"? khaled meshal must indeed believe we're all complete idiots.

and they also say that they do not target civilians. Candy for leftist loonies.

Saying that they're inaccurate is a farce, the intent was to kill where and wherever they landed Military experts estimate that a soldier can fire in excess of 15,000 bullets before one will hit the intended target and terminate it Case in point, a shotgun shell consists of many pellets, it only takes one pellet to take down the target the gun is pointed at

...gasp...choke...Ha! Ha! Ha! Hamas thinks we're idiots.

which is a beautiful city, rather than Gaza, which is a disaster area.

Who cares what Hamas does or does not do? They are completely irrelevant to Israel and the rest of the world except Iran of course. Meshal can talk to the hand.

"It is illegal to acquire land by war" Make me laugh!!! Your Arab friends attacked Israel from all sides in both 67 and 73 hence the territories. So next time tell them not to attack in order to acquire land!

"If Hamas accepts the rockets were totally inadequate and inaccurate knowing they would harm civilians, why would he fire them in the first place?" If Israel accepts it's rockets, artillery, missiles are so accurate but they still kill civilians, why do they fire them in the first place? "Instead of wasting bhis money on useless rockets, why did he not use this money to take his people out of the refugee camps and set up decent living standards for the women children and elderly?" Perhaps because building materials are embargoed by Israel.

Why this savage is hiding in Syria? The answer is simple: he is chickening out. He knows that the next time Israeli agents will pour some drops into his ear, he probably will not be so lucky, and as such, he hides in the barbarian state of Syria, praying to Allah that he is out of our reach. And actually, Mashal the savage is not different from other savage, Nasralla, that is hiding in the sewage pipes of Beirut. If we analyze the behavior of the Palestinians during the Case Lead operation, we find the same chickening out behavior: the savages are hiding from IDF in the sewage pipes, leaving the civilian population exposed to its faith. We can say the same thing on the Palestinian shouters that disturb Israeli representatives in universities abroad. Since they know their arguments are a bunch or rubbish that do not hold water, they silence Israeli representatives. The Palestinian chickening out is validated one more time.

As stated in the article: "The Hamas leader said...Hamas is willing to accept the borders that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War" I don't think Hamas is in the position to be making any demands here - Palestinians had there chance for '67 borders and even '48 borders not to mention other attempts to forge peace but like the saying goes - the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Now like little children that cannot make up their minds they feel that the '67 borders will do them fine - well I think that Hamas should crawl back into the hole they came from and they should consider themselves lucky they have even have Gaza and the West Bank and lets leave it at that.

If Hamas accepts the rockets were totally inadequate and inaccurate knowing they would harm civilians, why would he fire them in the first place? Instead of wasting bhis money on useless rockets, why did he not use this money to take his people out of the refugee camps and set up decent living standards for the women children and elderly? No sir this coward and his mob were quite happy to sacrifice them in pursuance of their most powerful tool - ANTI JEWISH PROPAGANDA.

If you listen to what he is saying he is acknowledging the fact that their means of fighting are limited, that he would prefer peace, he see's the 67 greenline as acceptable. He is willing to live by International standards, he has no faith in negotiations, he is looking for proof that there can be peace. I think it's time for Israel to talk directly with Hamas what's the worst that could come from talking with them? You don't make peace friends, you make it with advisories.

So what or who were they aiming at??

His comment that they don't mean to kill civilians but the rockets are inaccurate is so ridiculous as to not deserve a reply. Was he actually targeting an empty spot in the wilderness, but it took almost 10,000 of them all landing on schools, playgrounds, and hospitals to finally realize that they were missing their mark? If you fall for this, you'll also believe that Amedinejadh won the election, is only interested in nuclear for power plants, and probably those documentaries that Hitler made about how wonderful life was for those Jews in his camps. Israel shouldn't have ended Operation Cast Lead until there was no more Hamas and then said that they weren't targeting Hamas but their soldiers aim was inaccurate.

It is truly remarkable to see that the limits of incredulity of our comrade friends is boundless. It the face of such obvious tripe, still there is the steadfast adherence to this idiotic selective standard that Israel is held to while the bulk of the gang of thugs at the United Nations can feign their own adherence to democratic principles. It is way past the time to call out these hypocrites in the most aggressive of ways and to use the most powerful of means within the ambit of a democratic process to pull the veil off these politically-correct posers. It's a joke, but an increasingly irritating one. Goldstone? Imagine commencing a war, hiding behind civilians and then getting to whine that civilians have been killed? Where are the U.N. and their cheerleaders on the travesties of Iran, Sudan, Turkey and the myriad of other holes in this planet in which enormous #s of civilians have been butchered? Political prisoners and genocide doesn't count in approved places, apparently.

This is such bull! With all the IDF bases in Kassam rocket range in the south, Hamas can only hit civilian targets? Hamas NEVER aims at IDF bases, only Israeli towns and cities. More Hamas lies.

The past belongs in the past. Unless you have a time machine you can't turn back the clock. That's a basic principle of physics. Try working on an agreement for 2009 because 67 is moot.

No mention of the illegal abduction, imprisonment, and denial of all basic rights to Gilad Schalit?

"Ha, too much Jewish blood was spilt over those wars, this time you will get much less!!!!!, the initial conditions have changed." The laws haven't changed.

"When Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, did Hamas start building schools, universities, a free-market economic system, or any other part of a normal civilized society? No." What with?

"If Hamas is to investigate misdeeds, will they be allowed to inspect damage in Sderot?" No. They're required to find out who and what the intended target was.

"Hamas is willing to accept the borders that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War."- Ha, too much Jewish blood was spilt over those wars, this time you will get much less!!!!!, the initial conditions have changed.

Why launch at all? After 8 years and killing nothing but civilains, promising victory and Israel's Stalingrad, hamas will now investigate itself. Hamas and the high road-yea right. Maybe AI and Goldstone can counsel hamas: best to leave those Jews alone. No rockets-no Cast Lead....

Israel should take note that it is no longer dealing with the PLO of Arafat, which was trained in Egypt and bound by Egyptian interests. If Israel uses old tactics, which have been studied and mastered by Tehran, Israel is in stone age.

I am happy to concur with the finding of the Goldstone Report that HAMAS targets civilians. I am also pleased that Meshal has shown a willingness to abide by the Goldstone Report and investigate these accusations in a transparent way as is demanded by the report. I note that Israel is not willing to abide by the report. Or investigate any of the allegations placed against the Israeli Defence Force by the Goldstone Report. But I am happy to confirm that I fully endorse the Goldstone Report and reiterate that the Goldstone Report does accuse HAMAS of targetting civilians, and I welcome the fact these alegations are going to be investigated. I think thats pretty clear Joe. Happy?

They are sitting in some Ghetto, dont they? Maybe they did deserve it, Israel had to do it, but the situation is not much different for them. Allthough they may stay there, but is this really a difference as far as self-defense is concerned?.

That Hamas no longer wants to kill civilians is not an outright lie. Hamas did however want to scare the civilians by targetting them and chasing them to shelter. Still repugnant tactics and a war crime for al the reasons Goldstone formulated. The positive message is that Hamas accepts peace within the 67 borders. To get peace you have to look at the positives.

I just want to hear it from your own talkbacks that you agree that Hamas does not target civilians. All those suicide bombings on buses and in restaurants, all those thousands of rockets that landed in Israel towns.... I want to hear you explain how these are not aimed at civilians and not war crimes and that Hamas and Fatah leaders should not be put on trial.

by sending missiles he is not defending his people , he purposeful instigates war and puts his people in great risk

The very existance of Hamas is a crime against humanity. Jihad, is a crime against humanity! Ignorance of International Law (1919 and 1922) may not be a crime in itself, but giving away any part of the land of israel, is!

Oh of course! HAMAS believes that because Israel has conscription for the entire nation, no-one in Israel is a civilian. In other words from Tel Aviv to Haifa to Eilat, every city & town is just a military base, full of soldiers. Sderot is the closest one. What a joke. And the sad thing is, the world will fall for it.

I hate the man, but I can't deny he's smart. No one really believes such a committee would actually find the rockets were war crimes, or especially not that anyone would be punished, since it would be Meshal himself who would have to be held responsible. But he says the formula he has to say, and can now argue he's in compliance with international law. As opposed to the Israeli government which is bent on arguing the principal rather than doing whats best for the country. Its like being in quicksand; the more it fights, the faster it sinks. If they had agreed in some vague terms to "investigate" and then let everyone forget about it, Israel's image wouldn't have been so damaged.

O.k, rockets are inaccurate and Hamas says it doesn't want to hurt and kill civilians (apparently a change of policy from suicide bombings). So, what does Hamas do? Well it sends the rockets "in the direction" of civilians, knowing, apparently, that the rockets are inaccurate. So, even if one accepts Meshal's proposterous, double talk, explanation, one concludes that Hamas is recklessley indifferent to the risks posed by the rockets on civilians. In most legal systems, there is no difference between being recklessely indifferent to the loss of life and intentionally eliminating it. This is very different than Israel's stance of self defence. Let's face it. Hamas seeks to terrorize Israelies and Israeli life and the only way it can do that, other than adventurous attacks which fail much more often than succeed, is to fire rockets into civilian areas with all the consequences of doing so.

When Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, did Hamas start building schools, universities, a free-market economic system, or any other part of a normal civilized society? No. Hamas? top agenda was to go on a brutal rampage directed against its own people, the members of Fatah. Their next ?priority? was to start shooting missiles at Israel. This is not the mark of a civilized society, but of brutal gangs fighting a petty turf war. Yet many people in the ?world community? ignore Palestinian society?s extreme dysfunctional nature. As to the ?Palestininas?, they prefer Hamas : http://xrl.us/bepvm7

"Hamas does not aim to kill civilians. Hamas does not want to target the civilians," he said. "Hamas defends itself, but because it has simple abilities and its rockets are inaccurate in targeting, so it reaches the civilians, but we do not intend to do that." This guy thinks the world is stupid! He should be ashamed of having such contempt for others' intelligence. And regarding agreeing to peace with Israel based on 1967 borders, he should first destroy the Hammas charter which asks for Israel's destruction, before asking for being taken for serious.

What a liar. His inaccurate rockets were all aimed at civilian centres, not military bases. How hypocritical can you get?

If Hamas is to investigate misdeeds, will they be allowed to inspect damage in Sderot?