Israeli incursion in Gaza manifestly unjust

Once again, the world watches silently as the Israeli Defence Forces march into Gaza and massacre the Palestinians, ostensibly to protect their people from the senseless Hamas shelling. US President Barack Obama has expressed support for the Israeli action because the latter ‘has a right to defend its citizens’ and that it is Hamas which is ‘putting their people at risk’ by provoking Israel.

The fact is that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and its military operations predates the existence of Hamas. Though the latter came to power in 2006 through an internationally supervised election that the US and Israel refused to honour, Palestinian resistance started in 1948.