Palestinian media are eagerly reporting the story about how scandalous the video is - while publishing the video itself to allow everyone to see these pre-pubescent girls splashing in the pool and hot tub. (The shirtless father is receiving some attention, too.)
The hotel issued a statement explaining that the family shown were Christians, not Muslims, and that the video was publicizing that the resort offers private chalets and pools for families to be able to swim together.
That wasn't good enough.
The media tends to stay away from stories like these for two reasons: they don't want to publicize how extreme Hamas is in regulating how regular Gazans, including Christians, may act.
Today, the Gaza Ministry of Tourism closed the Bianco Resort.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Gaza decided to close a chalet in the Bianco resort in the northern Gaza Strip until further notice; "For non-compliance with the conditions and procedures followed in implementing the events and activities, which violate the customs and traditions of our authentic conservative people."
The Bianco Resort has been in the news before.
Last summer, a man in one of the private chalets took a video of his wife who could be seen for a split second swimming nude. That man was arrested by Hamas. At that time, the resort thanked Hamas for the arrest and said it upheld the moral standards of Gaza.
Also last year, Islamists in Gaza bombed the resort because it was holding a mixed-gender concert.
The media tends to stay away from stories like these for two reasons: they don't want to publicize how extreme Hamas is in regulating how regular Gazans, including Christians, may act.
And because they don't want people to realize that Gaza has many luxury resorts and it not the bombed-out shell that the media wants the world to believe it is.
UPDATE: According to some media, this is the video that upset Hamas - a party at that same resort with young men and women together.
