I'd actually put the blame with Ariel Sharon, and his decision to withdraw from Gaza in 2005. In doing so, he allowed the conditions that allowed Hamas to thrive.

Anyway, I'm going to copy and paste a comment I made elsewhere to give my statement on this current intolerable situation. Great article, by the way.

Full disclosure: I'm Jewish by descent (via my maternal grandmother, who fled Nazi Germany and came to the UK in the 1930s). I have also lost count of the number of times I have visited Israel, and have many friends there. I have read a history book or two, and I have a knowledge of events in the Middle East that doesn't just go back to last week (to paraphrase something I believe Benjamin Netanyahu once said).

I haven't got evidence to back this up yet, but I reckon this attack by Hamas is Iran-backed, and designed to sabotage the deal that was about to be struck between Israel and Saudi Arabia (leaving Iran more isolated). It is about Iranian interests and has bugger-all to do with liberating anyone. It is clearly not a reaction to any "provocation" as it seems clear this operation by Hamas has been planned for months, if not years.

I recommend reading the Hamas charter. They are not interested in co-existence or a two-state solution. They are interested in the total destruction of Israel. Nothing less. They are a death cult. The same goes for Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and other such groups. These groups are also directly responsible for systematically oppressing Palestinian populations and brainwashing children into zealotry and hatred. I suggest anyone reading this who disbelieves me take a long, hard look into Palestinian media propaganda. It is beyond terrifying.

Obviously, Israel does not have a spotless record throughout their history (nor does any nation, for that matter), but even though I don't think Israel should have withdrawn from Gaza in 2005, the immediate responsibility for the current situation lies with Hamas and their supporters. Personally, I am praying for a miracle. I pray that hostages are rescued. I pray that God protects civilians on both sides (the deaths of innocents in Gaza is equally tragic). And I pray for the total destruction of the murderous Hamas ideology. I am pro-Jewish and pro-Palestinian. I am one hundred percent anti-Hamas.