Israeli leader says nation is not targeting Gazan civilians

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Every Palestinian civilian’s death costs Israel in its fight for world opinion but the Jewish state must not cede its security for the sake of public relations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he pressed his nation’s case on America’s Sunday news programs.

The Israeli leader said Palestinians are trying to shape global opinion with images of piled-up slain civilians.

“We’re telling the civilians to leave, Hamas is telling them to stay,” Netanyahu said in satellite interviews from Israel as the lethal conflict enters its third week. “Why is it telling them to stay? Because it wants to pile up their own dead bodies.” He said: “They not only want to kill our people, they want to sacrifice their own people.”

A Palestinian minister countered that Israel’s actions are unjustified.

“The Israeli aggression on Gaza does not bring peace to Israel,” said Mohammad Shtayyeh, minister of the Palestinian Economic Council for Research and Development.

The 20-day war has killed more than 1,030 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel has lost more than 40 soldiers, while two Israeli civilians and a Thai worker in Israel were killed by rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza.

Netanyahu said his nation’s efforts to secure itself will not yield despite growing concern about deaths at the hands of Israel’s force. He insisted Israel is not targeting civilians but showed little willingness to ease its military actions against the Islamic militant group