I seem to recall about 3 years ago, Israel removed its OWN PEOPLE from the West Bank in a full and unconditional withdrawal from the area. The settlers were dragged screaming and kicking from their homes so that the Palestinians could have full possession of that area. This was in an effort to advance the peace process. Since then, Hamas has done nothing, and I mean nothing, to assist in further advancing the process.
Ceasefires have been put in place and still rockets have been fired into Israel.
Let's not forget that the Jews are a people who not so long ago were faced with extinction. Some of the holocaust survivors are still alive today. I am not saying that their past excuses what could be viewed as an over-reaction in Gaza today, but unlike prior to 1947, they now have a homeland and the military might to protect it. I can understand how they now want to make it very clear that you can't attack them now and hope to get away with it.
Just before Christmas, Hamas declared that they would not be renewing the ceasefire when it ran out. They then fired more rockets into Israel. There is no way they could have hoped to gain anything territorially as they don't have the might, so what were they attempting to do? It seems they wanted to stir up Israel into an over-reaction to turn the rest of the world against them. Hamas doesn't care about it's own people. They are willing to place rocket launchers and it's own fighters into residential areas just so they can get video footage of dead and injured women and children to present to the world in the hope that someone (like Iran/Lebanon etc) will join the fight with a bigger stick than they have.
I won't be signing up to anything that condones this. Sorry mate. Both sides have to start talking and both need to act and maybe give up some of their demands before they can start living together in peace.