This article conveniently forgets the thousands of Israeli civilians who have been TARGETED and MAIMED/KILLED by Hamas suicide bombers. Israel is not targeting Hamas because of how they govern the Palestinians, rather for how they are MURDERING Israelis. What peace loving people.

Mike D, NJ,

A very well written article and the British media should use this as an example of how to prsent fair and unbiased reports on the Middle East conflict. May be the UK and American Government don't want peace in the Middle East. Otherwise what excuse will they have to continue to exert control there.

Cassam Tengnah, Carmarthen, Wales

Great to hear about Hamas directly from someone who has bothered to get in touch with and understand Hamas. Israel and the US should eat humble pie and admit to their own shortcomings.

Nosheen, London,

An interesting article which should be published in newspapers and discussed on television here in the United States. Unfortunately there is no balanced view on this subject from the media in my country. Americans are deliberately left in the dark on the realities of the israeli/Palestinian conflict

Ross , New York City, USA

"When Westerners ask what is in the mind of Hamas leaders when they order or allow rockets to be fired at Israel they fail to understand the Palestinian position."

I think that I also fail to understand. How about Hamas unilaterally ceasing to fire rockets at Israel?

Geoffrey Woollard, Cambridge, England

I have visited West Bank and Gaza and have studied Hamas extensively. Clearly this writer has no idea what they stand for. They are a rejectionist movement that denies the right of Israel to exist. Irrespective of their good works on the ground their political aims are anathema to the peace process.

Tony, Orpington,

Some of these comments are just ludicrous. There is no suggestion in this article that rockets are the solution to this problem. But I think it is a fair statement to suggest that Hamas are not an inherantly evil organisation in their entirety.
Israel deserve no sympathy while they continue to bomb

Kev Harrison, Birmingham, UK

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the conflict, why is the UK government paying for the damage Israel causes?

David, Bromley,

If the Hamas leadership was so highly educated they should have been able to work out that a commitment to the destruction of Israel and firing rockets into Israeli townships was far more likely to bring about the present situation than bring peace and prosperity to the people of Gaza.

Steve, London,

Very good article. Provides new light and information of the real situation. More articles like this are needed to really understand what is happening.

Carlos, Madrid, Spain

All fundamentalists are bad. I think you are painting a very rosy picture indeed of Hamas.
It was they who broke the truce by prodding the "bear" constantly with their rockets.
And how come they can get rocket parts and yet complain that they cant get supplies into the country?

Bjorn, Europe,

What a self-explanatory article. I will print this article and send it to my friends, who needs to be educated on "Who is Hamas". I will also send a copy of this article to the Toronto Star as the writers there are so biased, as usual, in favour of Israel. No one can say the truth about Israel.

Margaret Walters, Toronto, Canada

Some valid points, but maybe those 500 phds could tell their friends to stop sending rockets into Israeli towns, as their enemy is not known to respond to these things like sheep.

David, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Thanks for this, I didn't relaise Hamas were so nice and cuddly. Here's silly ole me thinking they were firing riockets blindly into Israel and encouraging suicicde bombers. My mistake.

Mike, Leeds,

Finally, an article that tells the truth about Hamas. In the week since the Israeli bombing started, all I've seen in the Western media are lazy, ignorant articles smearing Hamas as bloodthirsty terrorists. Given the dreadful circumstances that they live in, Hamas have shown amazing restraint.

Daniel, Basingstoke,

Absolutely spot on.
The problem is Israeli intransigence and a disinterest on the part of the West to engage with Hamas as they're afraid of upsetting their Israeli allies whom wield considerable power in Washington through the Israeli lobby.
As a democratically elected body Hamas deserves respect.

JB, Seef, Bahrain

It doesnt matter what they do for their citizens, what matters is their statements on the existence of Israel. That is what drives the Israeli. American response. I am aware that the leadership are educated, it is not theirs sons and daughters who are the suicide bombers- they choose the gullible.

Andrew, Canterbury,

An excellent article. The Israeli politicians are defiling the good name of millions of Jews who live in peace throughout the rest of the world. This is an absolute tragedy.

Alan Chapman, La Garde Freinet, France

Whilst much of this is true, it paints a not entirely accurate picture of Hamas on the ground. However, what is undeniable is that they are a far more pragmatic and rational organisation than we are led to believe, and the worst achieved by unconditional talks between parties is nothing...

JEF, Tel-Aviv, Israel

Excelent article but surely the reference to a 'crippling embargo' is not strictly accurate ? The Gaza strip has rail and road links with Egypt, and access is always possible from the sea. If Gaza wishes to do trade via Israel, more effort should be applied to stopping the outgoing rockets.

tony, bournemouth, U.K.

Thank you for shedding light on a totally misunderstood organisation. If you are right, it is difficult to understand why Hamas has not done a better job of promoting itself and why Westen governments and Israel have not got the message.

Alan, Paris, France

Would the Israelis be so brave if they did not have planes, tanks etc. How many Palestininians have been killed by Israel and how many Israelis have been killed by Hamas in the past year. Or indeed since the Israeli state was set up in Palestine.

Ivor Soutar, Chichester, UK

If you believe that firing rocket attacks on civilians in Israel is a good way to establish peace, sleep tight. These rocket attacks have been ongoing for a long time.

Also, isn't it surprising that Palestinians have been able to smuggle weapons into Gaza, but forgot to smuggle medical supplies?

David, Edinburgh, UK

The world cannot demand democracy, and then reject a legally elected government. We have to talk and keep talking. The only government to defeat terrorism is England (not Britain) by using just this tactic. Yet everyone ignores this fact in favour of bombs.

M. Wassell, Crediton, Devon

Well done William Sieghart - a note of clarity in a world of elaborate misinformation. Let each Israeli ask the question, how would you respond to this situation if you were a young Palestinian growing up in Gaza today? Answer? You would fight, just as the young Jews fought in the Warsaw ghetto.

Dr Simon Taylor, Birmingham, UK

I doubt you've helped much in the resolution of the conflict with this article, William. Genuine peace requires Hamas to accept the basic principles of a two-state solution, renounce violence and recognise Israel. Simple enough even for all those PHd's.

Paul Freeman, London, England

How refreshing to read the truth. Blind US and British politicians think only of their own strategic aims, and nothing of the slaughter and destruction which is constantly rained upon the Palestinians with weapons which they supplied. An article worthy of praise. Thank you Mr. Sieghart.

Ronald, Nicosia, Cyprus