On the face of it, the abduction of Israeli soldier 19-year old Gilad Shalit by the Palestinian triggered the violent phase of Israeli aggression, but in truth the Israelis seem to have decided to finish off Hamas on the pretext of the kidnapping incident. The reasons why we say this is because: (a) Hamas has conveyed through Egypt its assurances of securing the release of Shalit; and (b) it is said to be aligning with that faction of Al-Fatah which recognises Israel. The reason why Israel treated the Hamas as a pariah is because the latter refuses to accept the existence of Israel as a state. Since such positive signals from Hamas are being overlooked by Tel Aviv, we are constrained to conclude that all that Israel wants is to annihilate Hamas. But the latter has been voted into power by the majority of the Palestinians and in running the government the last thing they can afford is to behave like a terrorist organisation.

Tel Aviv is bent on solving what is basically a political issue through military means. It is not even prepared to give diplomacy a chance in the matter of securing release of captive Israeli soldier Shalit, let alone seeking a political solution to the problem of co-existence between the Israelis and the Palestinians. If Israel doesn't stop showing off its military might courtesy the United States, the region may well be drawn into the vortex of another Middle Eastern war. Let the big powers din the right sense into the ears of Israeli leadership.