>..., and this morning I read reports where Hamas has been using BABIES as shields...basically approaching with an infant in one hand and a weapon in the other.

Did you see this for yourself, firsthand, or by independent witnesses who are verifiably not aligned with either party (Amnesty International, for example)? The de-humanization of the enemy, as old as war itself, so that we don't feel bad about killing them. All warring parties have done this against their enemies.

You are a father. What would it take for you to hold your child in front of you as a shield? Do you think a Palestinian father cares less for their child than you do? Or are Hamas simply taking other peoples babies from them and using them as shields?

The claim of (your words) "... approaching with an infant in one hand and a weapon in the other" is ridiculous. The whole story sounds like mainstream war propaganda.