Norman Finkelstein on Gaza conflict, Hamas goals and Iron Dome myth

Greek Orthodox Archbishop: 'Hamas Used Church to Fire Rockets' (VIDEO)

"Christ tells us we must love each other, our neighbors, and our enemies... No other religion says that except the Christian faith." � Archbishop Alexios of Gaza

The source news report for this post.

by George Thomas, CBN News � August 8, 2014

GAZA STRIP -- Air raid sirens sounding in the Eshkol Region on Wednesday afternoon turned out to be a false alarm. The 72-hour ceasefire appears to be holding for now.

Hamas is not only using mosques to launch attacks against Israelis. It has also used a church compound.

Archbishop Alexios is Gaza's most prominent Christian leader. His decision to open his church to 2,000 Muslims escaping the war surprised many of Gaza's residents.

"Christ tells us we must love each other, our neighbors, and our enemies," Bishop Alexios told CBN News. "No other religion says that except the Christian faith."

Alexios and the estimated 1,500 Arab Christians who live in the Gaza Strip walk a fine line between trying to stay alive and the Bible's command to share God's love. Since Hamas' 2007 takeover of Gaza, residents say it's imposed strict Taliban-style Islamic laws on the people.

"Islam is the rule of this place and whatever Hamas says we must obey or face consequences," Alexios explained.

[This is a classic description of what the dhimma contract imposes on Christians living under Muslim tyranny. These are not "Taliban-inspired laws," but rather are commanded in the Quran and drawn expressly from the Sira (the Life of Muhammad) and the hadiths (sayings by and about Muhammad), and were first codified in the Pact of Omar, the first caliph after Muhammad.]

Now he's now concerned about what comes next after the guns fall silent and missiles and rockets stop flying.

"There's a lot of anger on the street. We need forgiveness and love to flow," he said.

Alexios took CBN News to the roof terrace outside his office to show how Islamists used the church compound to launch rockets into Israel. He refused to discuss details on camera for security reasons, but days after the war started, Israeli missiles targeted an area close to the church sanctuary.

Little is left of one of two minarets that used to stand tall here, not too far from the Mediterranean. It was a major mosque in the area and was reportedly hit by seven Israeli missiles.

The Israeli government said places like mosques and hospitals in densely populated areas are routinely used by Hamas to fire off their rockets.

Just around the corner from the church, Mohammed, a resident of Gaza, sat in complete shock.

"I picked up the phone and the Israeli army said I have five minutes to get out of my house -- they were going to destroy it. I had 60 people living in my apartment and had to get them out," he recalled.

Mohammed's three-story apartment complex was destroyed. He and his five brothers and their families lived in the building. The word on the street is the brothers are tied to Hamas and used the apartment to store weapons, a claim Mohammed denies.

Asked why Hamas is interested, he said, "The Israelis attack schools, they attack hospitals, they attacked mosques. You ask them. They know why. I don't know why."

This week, Israel's military released a map of Gaza showing dozens of positions from which Hamas rockets were fired. Dramatic footage from drones flying above the Strip also shows Hamas firing from populated areas.

Back at the church, Bishop Alexios said he's not out to pick a fight with Hamas or Israel. He simply wants to serve people.

"We are disciples of Jesus [and] we must give love to everyone without condition," he said.

Orthodox Archbishop in Gaza: Hamas fired rockets from church

by Joel B. Pollak, Breitbart News � August 8, 2014

Archbishop Alexios, the Greek Orthodox Christian leader of Gaza, told CBN News on Wednesday that Hamas had used the church to fire rockets at Israeli civilians prior to the 72-hour ceasefire. The church was also being used at the time as a shelter for Palestinian civilians of all faiths who were fleeing the war's bombs and rockets.

Hamas used the church and the civilians as human shields--a war crime under international law--in order to deter Israel from striking the rocket launchers, and to cause Israel maximum public relations and diplomatic damage if it did return fire. At least two United Nations facilities housing civilians were struck in that fashion.

Though the White House called Israel's actions in those instances "indefensible," and other world powers rushed to condemn Israel, few bothered to consider that they were playing directly into Hamas's hands, and creating an incentive for Hamas and other terror groups to continue to use the same deadly tactics in future.

The outrage that might have ensued if Israel had struck a church--instead of merely a UN facility--would have been formidable, and could have greatly complicated efforts to rally support for Israel among Christians in the U.S. 

Hamas violated the 72-hour ceasefire Friday morning and launched a barrage of rockets at Israeli civilians.