The military action would never have been necessary had Hamas heeded Israel's constant warnings over many months and stopped the cynical rocket attacks on towns within striking distance of Gaza. Residents of those towns have lived in constant fear, spending hour upon hour in shelters. Children, whose schooling has been constantly disrupted, have developed nervous disorders, including speech impediments, because of the uncertainty of their daily lives. Even after the first wave of aerial bombardment, Jerusalem gave Hamas the opportunity to cease their attacks. The terrorist party's response was to carry on regardless.

Israel has one objective - to ensure a safe and secure environment for all its citizens. Hamas has other ideas, even endangering fellow Palestinians, knowing full well that Israel would hit back and cynically embedding terrorist militants in densely populated civilian centres, well aware that Israeli attacks would kill and injure vast numbers in an attempt to wipe out the architects and perpetrators of terror outrages against the Jewish state.

The Palestinian leadership, since the days of Yasser Arafat, has never held life sacred. Loss of life in the fight against Israel has never mattered, as evidenced by the actions of suicide bombers and the long-established practice of using civilians as human shields as terrorists hide among the general population. Hamas and Fatah, who have been equally guilty of this practice, know that mass loss of innocent lives will attract sympathy from throughout the world. It looks good. Never mind the personal tragedies suffered by Palestinian families, although even many of them have been indoctrinated to the extent that losing loved ones in the cause is a source of great joy and celebration. Imagine Israeli families behaving thus.

The UN Security Council has been quick to condemn Israel. Britain, Russia and other countries have rapidly joined the chorus of disapproval, demanding that attacks on Gaza cease. But where have those same voices been over the years as Israelis have endured fear and suffered injury and death as Hamas targeted their homes and schools? Israelis of all shades of political opinion are behind their government's current actions. Hamas are now a highly trained army, not a rag-tag group of militants. Israel has every right to take whatever action is necessary, on the ground or from the air. There will be loss of life on both sides, but in a war situation, as Israel now describes this, sadly this is the only way forward. Hamas does not operate according to accepted human convention. Wiping out this terror government is the sole option. American President-elect Obama was spot-on with his recent comment: "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing."

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