New York, NY . . . Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations pointed to public claims by senior Hamas officials that more than 80% of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza on Monday were trained terror operatives, as clear evidence that Hamas was using the demonstrations at the border with Israel to camouflage its planned military operation to breach the border fence and perpetrate attacks inside Israel.
Stephen M. Greenberg, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, said, “The claims by senior Hamas officials in televised interviews that the overwhelming majority of those killed by military fire were trained fighters whose mission was to cross the border and carry out attacks on Israeli soil conclusively show that the goal of the demonstrations in Gaza was to provide cover for a military operation to breach the border with Israel and carry out attacks in Israel.
The deaths and injuries to innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who are directed and encouraged by Hamas, are regrettable, but the responsibility clearly rests with those organizing and mobilizing these riots and using human shields to raise the casualty numbers. The Israeli military is acting to minimize these casualties under battlefield conditions. But the boasts by senior Hamas officials make it clear that Hamas was using the demonstrations as a tactic to conceal its assault on Israel’s sovereignty.
As with every nation in the world, Israel is justified in responding militarily to attempts to violently invade its territory and threaten the lives and security of its citizens.”
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