Who is responsible for the conflict in Gaza?

A six month cease-fire between the terrorist organization, Hamas, and Israel recently ended with Hamas increasing the number of unguided missiles that it lobbed into Israel to about 70 a day.

Seventy chances a day to kill innocent Israelis: fortunately most of these "dumb missile" attacks are not lethal - but tragically four Israelis have recently been murdered by them.

Israel tolerated constant low-level attacks against its civilian population during the recent cease-fire, and is now appropriately responding to escalating terrorist attacks from within Gaza.

One of the most important responsibilities of a government is the protection of it’s citizens. Israel has no moral choice other than to do whatever it can to end Hamas' indiscriminant terrorist attacks.

The people of Gaza unfortunately participated in electing Hamas, a terrorist organization, into power within the Palestinian National Authority. This has weakened the more moderate and Israel-tolerant Fatah party.

Since gaining de facto power in Gaza, Hamas has constantly provoked Israel. The ordinary people of Gaza who have politically supported this group are now paying a terrible price, especially given the willingness of Hamas to shield military targets by locating them within civilian areas.

Israel clearly has no interest in harming Palestinian civilians (given it’s development and use of expensive smart weapons designed to reduce exposure of civilians and non-military structures and equipment). Unfortunately, despite these efforts, unintentional collateral damage has not been entirely avoided, and will certainly continue.

I hope that civilians in proximity to military targets will flee, while doing what they can to convince their government that they these targets should be moved.

I also hope that Israel will quickly and decisively eliminate Hamas and its ability to threaten innocent Israelis. Only with the end of terrorist control (that has consistently been committed to the destruction of Israel) will ordinary Palestinians (or common Gazans) be freed from violence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG0CzM_Frvc