> the comment I responded to basically put forward that governments lie I appreciate you seeking something substantive, but in this case, doesn't that simplist

> the comment I responded to basically put forward that governments lie I appreciate you seeking something substantive, but in this case, doesn't that simplistic assertion still effectively discredit government claims? I remember reading US government claims re Afghanistan and Iraq - where they were under much less pressure than the Israeli government today: Did that strike kill civilians? The answer was always 'no' until someone could prove 'yes' - you learn that the 'no' didn't mean anything.