Q. and A. With Taghreed El-Khodary in Gaza

Q. U.N. officials, Human Rights Watch and Norwegian doctors in Gaza have said that Israel is using phosphorus and DIME in its Gaza attacks, and the devastating impact on civilian populations. Why is this issue not adequately covered by New York Times? Thanks — BP

A. Taghreed El-Khodary responds:

I could find evidence of the use of white phosphorus bombs but not DIME. As a result, we wrote about the use of the phosphorus. Israel used white phosphorus in densely populated areas. Regarding DIME, Red Cross doctors spoke about the amputations the weapons caused — cutting bodies in half. But I couldn’t find evidence proving that Israel used DIME, so I couldn’t report on it.

Q. Ms. El-Khodary, Do you think there are elements within Hamas that could accept the “two state solution”? — Ling Po

A. Taghreed El-Khodary responds:

Hamas has said it would agree to a two state solution based on a long term truce, 50 years or more. So, it’s temporary. In Hamas’s charter, their goal as an Islamic resistance movement is to liberate what they refer to as “Historic Palestine,” meaning they don’t recognize Israel and they will always seek to liberate the territory lost in the 1948 war. But a founder of Hamas told me: “Hamas’s charter isn’t written by a prophet.” What he meant — though many critics doubt it — the charter can change.