Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza

[Middle-aged Europe]

Not much point. Palestinians will probably resume their rocket attacks. If not immediately, then in a few weeks/months.

Nothing that any of the parties in the Middle East does really matters in the end (except that people die, of course).

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'd have more sympathy for Israel if they weren't Hamas' primary source of support and funds in the 80s.

This is probably asking for a lot...but cite?

I'm not sure if Israel could be called Hamas' "primary source of support", but I also read something along those lines once... the bottomline is that Hamas was originally aided by Israel because the organization was seen as competitor and counterbalance to the PLO/Fatah. Of course, this was in times when Fatah was Israel's main enemy. Support the Hamas and weaken the Fatah. Divide and conquer.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'd have more sympathy for Israel if they weren't Hamas' primary source of support and funds in the 80s.

This is probably asking for a lot...but cite?

I'm not sure if Israel could be called Hamas' "primary source of support", but I also read something along those lines once... the bottomline is that Hamas was originally aided by Israel because the organization was seen as competitor and counterbalance to the PLO/Fatah. Of course, this was in times when Fatah was Israel's main enemy. Support the Hamas and weaken the Fatah. Divide and conquer.

Which worked rather nicely in 2007.

Except that Hamas wasn't supported by Israel in 2007, but 20-30 years earlier. Clearly another occurence of "The enemy of my enemy doctrine bites me in the ass".