Israeli troops are combing slowly through northern Gaza, destroying tunnels, weapons caches, and booby-trapped houses, and engaging small numbers of militants in battles.
The Israeli government refuses to recognize the facts of international law. Once a significant proportion of a local population has reneged on a truce, war resumes, and the entire population becomes acceptable collateral damage. Where guerrillas operate without uniforms, any suspicious-looking civilians become legitimate targets, and their blood is on the hands of the guerrillas-turned-terrorists.




