Shouldn't we take them at their word?

Israel launches air attack on Gaza

Israel fired missiles at Gaza City Monday night in the first such strike since the outcry over a bombing that killed a Hamas militant leader as well as 14 civilians, many of them children. Monday’s attack, on what Israel said was a weapons factory, followed a series of attacks by Palestinians over the weekend that left 13 dead. Earlier Monday, Israel announced a “total ban” on Palestinian travel in much of the West Bank and sealed off part of the Gaza Strip with tanks.

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HAMAS WARNING

Palestinian attacks on Israelis have killed 27 people since the July 22 Israeli airstrike that killed leading Hamas militant Salah Shehadeh and 14 other Palestinians in Gaza.

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About 4,000 people celebrated the bus bombing in Gaza City late Sunday, passing out sweets and praying near Shehadeh’s destroyed house. Militants shouting over loudspeakers vowed to “avenge every drop of his blood.”

“We advise (Israelis) to prepare more body bags and wait for the coming operations,” a masked Hamas militant said.

The press harps on the civilian casualties involved in Israel's assassination of a terrorist leader. The terrorists themselves swear revenge for his, the terrorist's, death and seldom if ever mention the others any more.

And even Ted Rall says you should take a terrorist at his word, so aren't the Israelis now justified in flattening Hamas strongholds? After all, they're answering a very direct, very sincere threat which is backed with action.

Just a thought.