HAMAS RECRUITING HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN FOR FRIDAY PROTEST: Hamas appears intent on increasing the dangers amidst ongoing tensions with Israel. With the sides on the cusp of war, whereby one small, even unintentional incident, might tip the scale in favor of full-blown conflict, Gaza’s rulers have decided to recruit hundreds of Palestinian children from across the enclave to take part in Friday’s 28 July, 2018 installment of the so-called “March of Return” protests. The children will amass, along with potentially tens of thousands of other Gazans, near the Erez crossing point with Israel in order to denounce the [so called] “violation of their fundamental rights.” The Gaza Strip border protests despite their ostensible non-violent purpose have invariably descended into chaos. More than 130 Palestinians have been killed, mainly by Israeli live-fire, with thousands more injured primarily as a result of tear gas inhalation. Abd Lateef Kanou, a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, when pressed whether precautions are being taken to ensure the children remain safe, Kanou stated simply that Israel’s targeting of them would confirm its “immoral” behavior. “When there are hundreds of kids who wants to protest against their reality, this clearly demonstrates the Palestinians’ will to achieve their legitimate rights,” he concluded. While much of the international community has condemned Israel for its use of force to protect its frontier, the United States repeatedly has laid the blame squarely on Gaza’s leadership. “We believe that Hamas as an organization is engaged in cynical action that is leading to these deaths,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah recently told reporters. “The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas.” (Medialine)