H.E. Mr. Boaz Modai:

If I understood Senator Walsh's question correctly, he asked if I was not concerned that more young people in Gaza might become even more extreme and hostile towards Israel. The main reason they were, are and will be hostile is the incitement by and the education system of Hamas for them. What Hamas calls summer camps have children as young as five years being told how to use a rifle and throw a hand grenade. One could see this in one of the newspapers two days ago when during the celebration in Gaza one very young person was holding a rifle and another a pistol. As this is the way they celebrate, they do not need us or any operation to make them more hostile and radical than they are.

I say to the people who lost their children that I am sorry. It is not that I take responsibility. I am sorry they were killed by Israeli forces, but I remind these people that they were murdered by Hamas. Eventually, it was Israeli fire, but they were murdered by Hamas because these children and young people were used as human shields. If the members are asking about war crimes, this is a war crime. There is no war crime that is worse than using civilians as human shields. It is probably the worst war crime that exists.

We are not at the point of speaking about the International Criminal Court, but I assure the committee that if and when issues are discussed there regarding the Middle East, there will be a very long list of organisations and people that should be interrogated.