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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]
Here is the source for where the UN returned the missiles to Hamas http://cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/curtis-kalin/un-returns-20-missiles-found-un-run-gaza-school-hamas

Here is the source for the Al Jazaeera numbers http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/21/al-jazeera-publishes-updated-list-of-gaza-dead-analysis-confirms-israel-tageting-combatants/ - although I now ackowledge it may be a disputed interpretation of the Al Jazeera report.

And even the anti-Israel UN supports that Hamas purposely puts children in harms way by placing rockets in schools and playgrounds and then not allowing civilians to leave the areas after they have been warned. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/22/hamas-hiding-rockets-in-schools-children-playgrounds-israel-and-un-agency-say/

You previously said that the tunnels were built for defensive measure and protection, but Hamas does not allow any of the civilians to hide in them from the air strikes. They are reserved for militants. When civilians are being used as human shields, its really difficult, even for Israel with its very careful aim, not to cause some casualties. [/quote]

Thank you for the sources. They demonstrate why I like to have sources to evaluate. Regarding the rockets being returned: it looks like an open and shut case at first. But, then, if you follow through the chain of links you eventually find things are more complicated. First:

1) In the article to which you link, there is this quote:

"A spokesperson for UNRWA said the organization gave the rockets to 'local authorities,' which answer to the Hamas-backed unity government led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas."

Note, UNRWA said it turned over the rockets to "local authorities". The alleged link between those authorities and Hamas is the suggestion of the author of the quote.

2) Moving on to the source of the CNS article, we find this:

"A Western diplomat familiar with the incident said there is 'absolutely no evidence' that UNRWA handed the rockets to Hamas. Rather, the diplomat suggested, the authorities who collected the rockets are under the direct authority of the Palestinian unity government, 'which Hamas has left and which many in Hamas are openly hostile to. The key point is that the weapons were handed over to people who are not answerable to Hamas,' the diplomat said, referring to the fact that the unity government, not Hamas, is officially the ruling power in Gaza."

So, the bottom line is all we know for sure is that UNRWA handed the weapons over to local authorities -- which The Times of Israel article also explains is standard procedure world-wide. We don't know exactly who those local authorities were. The Israeli says the local authorities answer to Hamas and the Western diplomat says they are at odds with Hamas. I have no idea which of the two is correct and I assume that you don't either.

Regarding the al-Jazeera numbers, as both you and others have pointed out, what you reported is questionable. The numbers you reported were not provided by al-Jazeera, but by a pro-Israel blog. That analysis is very questionable for multiple reasons.

Regarding the UN report about weapons in schools, I disagree with your conclusion. First, let me note the irony that you are using a report by the UN -- the same UN whose casualty numbers you refused to accept -- as your evidence. The UN report doesn't mention playgrounds. Fox's headline is inaccurate about that. The UN report does say that weapons were found in two empty schools. While I condemn hiding weapons in schools, I disagree that hiding weapons in an empty school automatically puts children in danger. If Israel bombed an empty school, there would be few, if any civilian casualties.

Your final point highlights the dilemma that Hamas faces. It's tunnels are clearly for military purposes -- to defend against Israeli attackers. If Hamas allowed civilians into those tunnels, they would clearly be putting civilians in the midst of legitimate targets for Israelis forces. The civilians have been trying to congregate around non-military targets -- something not always easy to do if you don't know where Hamas is hiding. There are multiple reports of the Israelis telling Palestinians to evacuate their buildings and go to another one, only to have the second one bombed. Those case are clearly not situations of civilians being used as human shields.
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