I hate to be callous, but when your own countrymen launch a large-scale killing and kidnapping spree on another country you’ve got to expect (increased) retaliation. It’s a shitstorm all around.

I think the point that people are trying to make is that Hamas terrorism isn’t representative of all Palestinian people.

I feel as though the focus should be on eradicating and arresting the terrorist cell not bombing the entire neighborhood where they live, civilians and all. Although I understand that an investigation needs to be completed to determine which group actually carried out the hospital bombing and whether it was deliberate.

I do feel as though as a westerner without formal education or study of the matter I’m not qualified to point fingers in the whole thing other than to say that one atrocity does not justify further atrocity.

Are the Palestinian people cracking down on Hamas themselves? No, Hamas is operating as their government on the strip.

They(the larger group of people who don’t want this) could do something to change that, but they haven’t. Of course it wouldn’t be a peaceful change, but If your government doesn’t represent you, do something about it or you lose your right to complain when it ends up causing you harm. It’s not like revolutions are unheard of in history when the populace gets angry enough.

Same for Israel, the government is representing the people. The people could change the dynamic, but they choosing not to, and therefore the consequences are their own.

Life isn’t fair. War isn’t new. Humans can be very fucking brutal, vengeful, and stupid.

Are the Palestinian people cracking down on Hamas themselves? No, Hamas is operating as their government on the strip.

Yeah... those bad Palestinians not doing anything against Hamas while they took control of Gaza... oh, wait. That's not what actually happenend.

Was Israel cracking down on Hamas 16 years ago when there were open fights between Hamas and Palestinians fighting against them? Or were they sitting on the sideline gloating and watching Palestinians fighting other Palestinians until Hamas controlled Gaza?

Was Isreal cracking down on Hamas in Gaza in the last decade? Or were they just using Hamas as an excuse to kill civilians and to argue that the National Authority obviously doesn't speak for all Palestinians, so there is no need to talk to them or work for peaceful solution?

Why should it have been Israel’s job to stop a civil war that’s happening in a non-Israeli controlled territory?

Clearly Hamas has significant support among Palestinians.

"In the poll, 53% of the 1,200 Palestinians surveyed said they believed Hamas is “most deserving of representing and leading the Palestinian people.” www.npr.org/…/hamas-israel-attack-palestinians

Palestinians want revenge more than they want peace and so do the Israelis, nothing will change about this situation until both sides choose differently. Sucks for all the people who do want peace, but the people perpetuating this are significant groups of people, not simply fringe elements on each side.

Why should it have been Israel’s job to stop a civil war that’s happening in a non-Israeli controlled territory?

But that's the point: It happened in Israeli-controlled territory. They did nothing for a decade after 1993 while de facto still occupying the areas with no change in sight, then wondered why the National Authority lost support in the population and then still couldn't bring themselved to support that peaceful government cooperating with them over radicals bent on destroying Israel.

That's the level of priority peace actually had for Israel. They created Hamas support in the first place by a decade of governing the status quo when the plan should have been to gradually work for more autonomy for Palestinians and peaceful co-existence, then they indirectly supported Hamas by using them for even more excuses to not move on with the planned peace process and now they pretend they have no other choice but killing Palestinians to root out Hamas. When in reality they had a lot of choices for 30 years. And chose the route of escalation every single time.