Hamas plans response to Goldstone this week

According to Palestine Press Agency, Hamas "miniter of justice" Mohammed Faraj al-Ghoul announced that Hamas has prepared its own response to the Goldstone report, 52 pages worth. He said that the response will be professional and adhere to international standards.

Meaning, the international standards that blame Israel for everything.

al-Ghoul also says that the fact that Israel paid $10.5 million to UNRWA in compensation for inadvertent damage done is proof that Israel is admitting to "committing war crimes and crimes against humanity." He goes on to say that he hopes that the UN will not be taken in by this "bribe" and will continue to hate Israel as passionately as it did before.

Laughably, al-Ghoul said that Hamas set up a committee of inquiry to investigate any alleged violations and worked around the clock to uncover the truth, opened its doors wide open to receive public complaints, and investigated to the greatest extent and the pursuit and prosecution of abusers by Palestinian law. I can just imagine how welcome any resident of Gaza would feel about entering Hamas headquarters to lodge a formal complaint against Hamas.

He also said that Goldstone only specified some 36 incidents, while Hamas has been documenting over 1500 such crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, the crimes of aggression, "all of which were monitored and documented in full accordance with international standards and which will surprise the occupation."

Which is an interesting tack. Israel should prepare a dossier of Hamas war crimes that Goldstone missed, which is pretty much all of them.

Playing strictly defense is no way to win a battle.