KHAN YUNIS

AS NEWS OF 3000 Australian visas being granted to residents of the Gaza Strip causes concern among the Lucky Country’s more conservative citizens, Hamas, the organization that runs the small Palestinian territory, insists that it did not attack Israel last October just to get the much-coveted documents for ambitious Gazans.

“You could say that Israel’s response, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, has done more to sponsor the granting of visas to the people of Gaza City and Khan Yunis and Rafah, than any slaughters we may have carried out,” said a Hamas spokesman. “So blame Tel Aviv. Blame Netanyahu.”

Critics of the decision to grant so many visas to Gazans, say that the Australian Government is potentially inviting supporters of vicious terrorists to the island nation’s shores.

The Australian Labor Government says it is not handing out visas to any Israelis and that the test for Gazans is whether they only support Hamas rather than taking an active part in its massacres and kidnappings. “A person must have freedom of conscience. As long as that is not translated into action we see no problem,” insisted an Australian Labor Party identity. “Albo knows what he’s doing. You’re not going to get a branch office of Hamas setting up in Balmain or Kirribilli, or somewhere like that. This is purely humanitarian. I mean they’re not fanatics, are they?”