Dear Editor,

In reference to Andres Oppenheimer’s ‘Latin view’ of Sunday, January 11, he is giving his readers the impression that in the conflict with Israel and Hamas, Hamas is the aggressor.

What Oppenheimer has not said is that the Gaza Strip is a piece of land some 20 miles by 8 miles, probably as big as the East Bank of Demerara with one and a half million people packed in. They are denied the most basic consumer goods since Israel has closed the checkpoints through which supplies must pass for months and months. And Israel continuous to commit crimes against the people of Gaza by bombing them.

Hamas is the elected government of Gaza and must protect its citizens from Israel’s crimes, even if it means fighting to the last man. And this nonsense about Hamas intentionally targeting civilians with its rockets.  Am I to understand that the more than one thousand people killed by Israel, including women and children in the UN school were not civilians?

Hugo Chavez has proven to be a better friend to the Palestinian people than even the Arab neighbours.

Oppenheimer should stop giving his readers a false impression.

Yours faithfully,
W P George