This could be the end of Hamas. It depends on whether Israel’s collective rage is tempered by world opinion.

If the leaders of the group that governs Gaza cared about their people they would not have attacked Israel in the fashion they did two weeks ago. Killing thousands of civilians and taking hostages, instead of striking at military targets, guaranteed a furious Israeli response. Angry doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Hamas, recognized the world over as a terrorist organization, has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the attempts to bring peace to the Middle East. Their refusals to accept Israel’s right to exist and their indiscriminate attacks on children and the elderly have severely damaged the Palestinian cause.

There comes a time when mosquito repellant is insufficient and you decide the itching can only be addressed by draining the swamp. I suspect Hamas has goaded the Israeli government to the point where it is considering drastic measures in Gaza. And Hamas’ actions have given it the excuse to ignore the conventions of war.

Not that there is moral justification for what I think Israel is considering, any more than there can be justification for the evil acts committed in the name of Hamas. But Israel can just say it is protecting itself, and the world may stand by and allow what in other times would be war crimes.

Though their detractors won’t believe it, I believe the Israelis will do everything in their power to prevent the loss of life. But people will die. I. War that is collateral damage, and is quite different from the killing of people attending a music festival or the kidnapping of senior citizens to be used as human shields.

Many are wondering why Israel has delayed invading Gaza. The suggestion has been that the Israeli government was trying to figure out how to respond. Yes and no.

Modern militaries plan for what they see as possible future conflicts. They play war games against likely and unlikely targets. For example, I’m sure the US has a plan drawn up to invade Canada.

Similarly, I would be shocked if the Israeli Defence Forces, the IDF, don’t have three standard battle plans: invading Gaza, retaking the West Bank and moving into Lebanon to remove Hezbollah.

They probably have other plans drawn up, but those are the big three. That they have not moved into Gaza already seems to me that they are either looking for an excuse not to do so, or the IDF is reworking the battle plans with the intention of going in with much greater force.

The civilian death toll in Gaza is already large, and the destruction of property in an already poor society has been considerable.  Is it enough to slake the Israeli blood thirst? Somehow I doubt it.

I am sure the thinking is that Hamas must be taught a lesson like never before. Unfortunately, I doubt that Hamas leaders, who are probably all hiding in other countries, actually care about what happens to their people. They want a disproportionate Israeli response. They want war crimes they can parade in front of the world, and they don’t care if their people die in the process.

It is a cycle of violence that goes back centuries, Millennia even. Will anyone ever say “enough” and work for a just peace? I’m not optimistic that the current leadership on either side is capable of that.