It is true that Israel is threatened by Hamas. It is true that Hamas’s command, control and rocket launch infrastructure is honeycombed within residential areas of Gaza, not least because it is a tiny area with a dense population. It s also true that Hamas rockets can and do kill and maim Israelis indiscriminately. And, yes, the tunnel system for infiltration into Israel is not a tenuous thread of uncertainty, but a well engineered and effective conduit through which fighters can pop out of the ground in Israel and create mayhem. It is certainly true that Israel has a right and indeed a duty to defend itself and its people against these threats.
What is less certain is whether the scale of the Israeli response is proportionate and whether the large scale slaughter and maiming of women and children, which continues to shock the world, is justified. What is quite certain and beyond all doubt, is the fact that this kind of punitive bombardment of a population forcibly contained within the target area will stiffen resistance and feed resentment among Palestinians, making a solution more difficult to find. The aim of Israel should not be heavy handed punishment campaigns, which at best build a shattered calm which will not last long, but a lasting peace which will put an end once and for all to these recurring wars, which achieve nothing but suffering on all sides.