A whopper of a lie by Hamas

Buried in the middle of an AP article about alleged Israeli "war crimes" comes this jawdropper:

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum denied the group's men battled from civilians areas.

Wow. Besides videos and voluminous documentation that Hamas did exactly that, we can add the very anti-Israel PCHR site, which lists exactly where many of the "resistance fighters" were killed:

(Jan 2) At approximately 19:25, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Sami Ibrahim Lubbad, a member of the Palestinian resistance, near Sheikh Zayed housing project in Beit Lahia town. He was instantly killed.

(Jan 6) At approximately 02:40, a group of the Palestinian resistance exchanged fire with an IOF special unit, which was supported by warplanes and gunboats, in the southwest of Deir al-Balah refugee camp.

(Jan. 7) At approximately 23:05, IOF warplanes fired missiles at the street connecting al-Amal neighborhood and Khan Yunis refugee camp, killing two resistance fighters: Salem Ahmed Abu Mousa, 24; and Hassan Rateb Sama'an, 23.

(Jan 8) At approximately 09:40 on Thursday, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at three members of the resistance who were near al-Qassam mosque in Beit Lahia, killing all three.

At approximately 22:30, IOF bombed al-Zaytoun neighborhood, killing two members of the Palestinian resistance.

(Jan 9) At approximately 20:15, IOF warplanes attacked a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance in Street #2 in al-Qarara village, east of Khan Yunis.

(Jan 10) At approximately 23:30, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Rami Mohammed Sa'id Abu al-'Ata, 27, a resistance activist, when he was in al-Shoja'eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City.

At approximately 14:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Hassan Mohammed Harb, 24, a resistance activist, in al-Sikka Street in al-Boreij refugee camp.

(Jan 11) At approximately 02:00, fierce fighting erupted between Palestinian resistance activists and IOF in Sheikh 'Ejlin neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. The fighting continued for a few hours, during which time 11 Palestinians were killed.

At approximately 06:00, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of Palestinian resistance activists in Khuza'a village.

(Jan 12) At approximately 15:00, an IOF drone fired a missile at a group of the members of the Palestinian resistance near Sha’aban Mosque at Palestine Square in the center of Gaza City. Three members were killed as a result.

At approximately 17:00, an IOF drone fired a missile at Ussama Abu al-Seifi, 20, a member of the Palestinian resistance, in the east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood.

At approximately 20:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at two members of the Palestinian resistance in the east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood.

At approximately 18:55, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a group of the Palestinian resistance, whilst in the Abu Bakr al-Seddiq Street near al-‘Awda Square in the center of Rafah.

(Jan 13) At approximately 02:00, IOF moved towards al-Karama area and ‘Aamer housing project in the southwest of Jabalya, under firing, shelling and clashes with members of the Palestinian resistance that continued till 08:00. The clashes resulted in the killing of 13 members of the Palestinian resistance.

At approximately 01:30, violent clashes erupted between members of the Palestinian resistance and IOF troops that moved into al-Dahadih area, between al-Zaytoun and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods. The clashes resulted in the killing of 8 members of the Palestinian resistance.

At approximately 10:00, an OF warplane fired a missile at Mohammed Maher Mohammed Harazallah, 23, a member of the Palestinian resistance, whilst in the east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood. He was killed.

At approximately 19:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a Palestinian resistance activist in al-Zayotoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, killing him.

At approximately 20:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a Palestinian resistance activist in al-Sabra neighborhood, killing him.

At approximately 19:00, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of activists of the Salah al-Din Brigades (the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees) in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. Two activists were killed.

(Jan 14) At approximately 03:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at two Palestinian resistance activists in al-Sabra neighborhood, killing them.

At approximately 20:00, an IOF warplane bombed a group of members of the Palestinian resistance in the New Camp, west of al-Nussairat refugee camp.

At approximately 20:30, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a number of resistance activists in Abu Marahil Street in al-Nussairat refugee camp.

(Jan 15) At approximately 22:00, IOF warplanes fired a missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance near al-Karama apartment buildings west of Jabalya. All the members of the targeted group were killed.

(Jan 17) At approximately 05:00, IOF tanks shelled al-Karama apartment buildings, southwest of Jabalya. As a result, 3 activists of the Palestinian resistance were killed.

At approximately 23:00, medical crews found the bodies of two resistance activists in 'Aamer housing project in the northern Gaza Strip.

During IOF ground incursion into Tal al-Hawa neighborhood that continued until 07:00 on Friday, 16 January 2009, ten members of the Palestinian resistance were killed.

This is hardly a comprehensive list, but I think it proves the point fairly well.

By the way, the Hamas spokesman followed that lie with another equally transparent one:

He also called Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel towns "a means of self-defense."

"Those are not civilians. They are all soldiers," Barhoum said of the residents of southern Israel. "We are firing at places that bring us the F-16s, the warplanes and the tanks."