Israel not only has the right to defend itself, but the responsibility to its citizens to protect them from the rocket attacks that Hamas has initiated. The loss of civilian lives in recent days is very tragic, but we must also be clear: It is the actions of Hamas that are unacceptable and must come to a stop immediately. Hamas initiated the attacks and now cynically cries foul when Israel responds in the only way it had available. Those who would blame Israel are playing into the hands of the extremists who are opposed to peace.
First off, nobody has the right to kill civilians. Second off, there is more than one way to deal with terrorist attacks, the least successful one in the long run is to kill innocent people, which recruits more terrorists. Finally, the idea that someone calling Israel out for killing civilians is somehow a victory for Hamas is ludicrous. Terrorists don't base their actions on things like the words of American politicians and pundits, they base them on fanatical beliefs and real or imagined concerns with their opponents.
