Suddenly, Elephants: Do More

If you are impartial to the current situation in Israel and Gaza, you may move along - I have no quarrel with you. I have not cried out for Syria, for Egypt, for Ukraine - I cannot expect you to cry out for us.

But if you care, or are beginning to care, please remember to check all the available information before slamming Israel for not 'doing more' to protect the civilians in Gaza

Please remember that Israel supplies Gaza with water and electricity, despite everything that is going on, and always has.

Please remember that Israel takes injured from Gaza to Israeli hospitals and gives them medical aid.

Please remember that Israel is dealing with a terrorist organisation (as recognised by the USA, the EU, and many more), whose clearly stated aim is the destruction, not only of Israel, but of all Jews. That the ground operation in Gaza now is to minimise civilian casualties while fighting this same organisation, that deliberately bases itself in heavily populated areas - at heavy costs to our own side, because now our soldiers are in there.

Are you aware of how easily Israel could wipe out the entirety of Gaza from above, with no losses to our side? That it chooses not to, instead sending its own soldiers in to die in order to carry out precise, surgical attacks against terrorists?

Do you realise that the IDF goes above and beyond any other army, in any previous war, in its efforts to prevent civilian casualties? That many air strikes are called off when civilians get in the way? That Hamas, on the other hand, is working its hardest to maximise these same casualties, in their field as well as ours? The fact that the count on Israel's side remains so 'low' is a testament to Iron Dome's success, to the dedication of the IDF soldiers protecting us on the front line, and to the Israeli governments incredible efforts to protect its citizens - as opposed to the twisted methods employed by Hamas.

If you want to discuss the casualties in Gaza and compare them to those in Israel, remember to also compare them to the numbers in DR Congo, in Somalia, in Sudan, in Chechnia, and many more, and appreciate just how small the number of casualties in Gaza is in comparison to any other war by any other army. Remember that the IDF has done more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone, than any other army in the history of warfare.

Remember that Hamas is indiscriminately shooting rockets at Israel, know that my family is sleeping in the shelter, know that every few hours Israeli civilians are ordered to hide in their houses because Hamas 'soldiers' have come in through a tunnel with one aim and one aim alone. (Believe me, they don't care if you are a civilian or a soldier.)

Yes, it is terrible that a lot of Gazan civilians are being displaced, or worse, dying. The average Israeli weeps for both sides. But please consider the entire situation before you put your name behind such empty, hypocritical cries as those recently made by Amnesty International, or the UN, which smoothly gloss over the various difficulties Israel has to deal with, and the incredible success with which it does so.

Finally, if you do care, ask yourself why these organisations aren't crying out for Hamas to stop shooting rockets at Israel, or building tunnels into Israeli territory. Ask yourself how a democratic country that warns civilians of impending strikes, that provides water and electricity and medical care, is accused of war crimes while the organisation hell bent on its destruction continues to receive aid.

Ask yourself how it is possible that an organisation trying to help the people of Gaza continues to find terrorist weapons hidden in its facilities. Ask yourself how it is possible that the huge amounts of building materials and aid sent into Gaza have brought not beautiful buildings, parks, or playgrounds, but instead underground tunnels going straight into Israeli territory, with only one possible use. (It isn't a friendly one.)

Ask yourself all these questions, and tell me, what on earth do you want Israel to do?

If you still think Israel should be doing more, you are welcome to suggest your own ideas - we are already at our wits' end. But, if you find you have none, please refrain from baseless accusations against a country that is doing its absolute best in a truly absurd situation, forced to protect itself from a terrorist organisation while simultaneously looking out and providing for the same people that elected that organisation into power.