Adam LeBor tries to answer whether Israel and Hamas are guilty of war crimes. There is no question, however, that Hamas commits such crimes. They are a genocidal gang of religious nutcases. Random targeting of civilians is evil; so is using civilians as human shields. Everything my colleagues Mark Bwden and Jeffrey Goldberg say about such tactics is true.
Although I think Israel's actions have failed some core just war tests, the operation in Gaza does not, to my mind, qualify as a war crime. What we're debating, as LeBor points out, are three discrete incidents. Until we know all the facts, this will remain murky. But I cannot say it looks good.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2009/01/gaza-and-war-crimes/206781/
