Gaza: send lawyers, guns and money

2. The UN and EU will be central to long term funding and progress from the interim administration of Gaza towards a democratic administration of both Gaza and the West bank and later, for long term solutions affecting the entire region. France and Britain will require a legal framework for their operations.

3. But instead of delaying things while sorting out the legalities, lawyers should be used to cut through the confusion.

Indict the war criminals NOW

1. The systematic mass slaughter of civilians is not just a "war crime" it is also a "crime against humanity". That is a legal term of art which confers "Universal Jurisdiction". The domestic courts of any country can exercise jurisdiction to prevent and punish such crimes, without regard to the territory or nationality of either the victims or perpetrators.

2. Lawyers in countries like Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Spain could file charges within days. Getting to trial could take years. But the charges could and should be filed NOW.

3. Charging both the leadership of Hamas and the Israeli war cabinet with the notorious war crimes the whole world knows they have flagrantly committed could cut through the confusion.

4. While Britain and France get on with interim administration and protection of Gaza from both lots of war criminals, people delaying things with "noise" about who started it and elaborate explanations of why the mass slaughter of civilians is justified can just be told to submit their arguments to the courts that are trying the cases against the people they are defending.