Speaking of Israel...

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

The US State Department basically takes the exact same line I've been pushing for the last few pages. Its a humanitarian shame, but Israel has a right to defend itself. What part of that are you arguing with, and why?

Nobody believes they're just targeting missile sites.

The extent of the ground bombardment - against an enemy lacking serious AA capability - and the number of Palestinian dead make it look like a punitive campaign.

Aside from that - Hamas is part of the Palestinian Government, if Israel is going to invade it should have formally declared war - attacking another state without a formal declaration of war is a war crime.

Having said that, the US conducts illegal operations in Pakistan, so Israel's key ally has set the bar very low.