H.E. Mr. Boaz Modai:

-----and not be exposed. Along with our children, I spent a large part of this summer in Israel under these attacks. I do not recommend it to anyone. That is something for which we will have to pay a lot to psychologists in the future.

In regard to why Israel made this decision and the comments by Mr. Lapid, I also read what he said. He was not against it; he asked about the timing. Perhaps there could have been better timing or we could have postponed it. Israel is a democracy. I know that it is not very common in our area but it is possible for any politician, even if he is in the same government, to say anything he wishes and it is fine. People accept that. I do not think one will hear any opposition to Haniyeh in the government of Hamas.

In regard to my reference to people between the ages of 17 years and 30 years, I am not saying all of them were in Hamas but there was a much better chance that they were. We have a considerable number of photographs which show Hamas people after being killed or injured. The uniforms were taken from them, as were their rifles, and they were rushed to hospitals as civilians. Sorry, we do not believe the figures that were publicised by Hamas and were taken by the press as facts.

The Senator asked me about the hospital. I remind him that in 1999, NATO bombed Kosovo and 2,000 civilians lost their lives. Dozens of hospitals and schools were demolished but, as far as I recall, nobody saw the face of even one person who was injured or taken to hospital.