Both Sides' Crimes

Ban Ki-moon today spoke of "accountability and justice for crimes on both sides" in regard to the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The only crime by Israelis of which I am aware was the abduction and murder of a Palestinian Arab teen. Israel has arrested the alleged perpetrators and will subject them to the full force of law. The UN and Ban need not interfere with Israel's administration of justice on this entirely internal matter. Every action by Hamas on the other hand has been conducted against international law. Hamas has targeted civilians almost exclusively, firing rockets at the Jewish State using Palestinian civilians as human shields, so that Israeli return fire inevitably produced dead Palestinian women and children. The IDF even took the extra step of warning Palestinians where Israeli forces would be operating in advance, so that they could leave safely. Hamas committed yet another crime by demanding their civilians remain in place. I do not for a second think Ban or international courts will hold Hamas accountable for their action, but I am sure that these Jew-hating bodies already hold Israel guilty for crimes that the government of Israel did not commit.