I DON'T GET IT

Exclaimer:  I am not a politician, nor an expert in foreign affairs, nor a military expert. I have friends and neighbors who might be of the Jewish faith, I might have friends or neighbors who are of the Muslim Faith, or perhaps Catholic, or Baptists, and so on.   But you know what?  I don't know what faith they are because I never asked.  I believe a person's faith is between themselves and God.  It's none of my business. 

The Middle East has been suffering through more war and killing since October and it was all started by a group of radicals who took the lives of more than 1000 people who were minding their own business on the other side of a border between Gaza and Israel and then that was followed by Israel "getting even" and attempting to eradicate the entire group of radical murderers.  Don't get me wrong, I believe Hamas consists of men who are murderers and are guilty of crimes against the law as well as moral crimes. They should all be put out of business, permanently.  

That said, I want to first ask a question.  If someone murders my wife is it right for me (or the state acting in my place) to then find and kill that murderer,  Of course it is.  But is it right that the state,  while in the process of finding and killing that murderer also decides to kill the wife of the murderer, the children of said murderer, his cousins, his grandmother, and his neighbors who knew nothing about his crime?  I think not.  In that way it is as heinous as what the the murderer did in the first place.  I don't understand why the world is not appalled by the manner in which Israel attempts to eliminate Hamas.  

My second thought, and maybe even more important,  and even more confusing to me is this.  Even if Israel were able to eliminate ever single Hamas fighter and leader they have surely created thousands more enemies in the process, new enemies that live right next door.  Am I misunderstanding human nature? If my three year old child is blown to bits by an Israeli rocket I believe I'd end up being a dangerous enemy to Israel in the future, even though I was not originally associated with Hamas and even if I had held no grudges against Israel prior to them murdering my 3 year old daughter.  Harsh language you think?  I think it's just being honest about human nature.  Israel will be no better off in a year than they were at the beginning of their pursuit of the Hamas murderers and maybe worse.  

Scenes of dead children break my heart and bring me to tears.  I can no longer even bear to watch the news. I understand there are Israeli parents and children who are suffering now too.  For the good of all humanity this killing must end.  I don't understand how world leaders, including those in our country don't demand it.