Can somebody explain the most recent Israel/Palestine conflict?

[smokey the elder]

Hamas, good, bad or indifferent, was elected by the Palestinian Authority. I just wonder what may have happened if, instead of the USA blockading the PA, if we had taken a watchful stance and see if Hamas could *gasp* go legit. If a faction actually needs to GOVERN, maybe they'll change their stance, and maybe they won't.

This is a 5000 year old mess which will probably not get cleaned up in this generation or the next. There was plenty of warlike behavior from all parties from the Old Testament on; Babylon stomped on Judea; Judea stomped Jericho, and on and on.

[Lady's Human]

STE, I would never say that the Israelis have clean hands in all this mess, BUT......

The Palestinians elected Hamas to rule, and Hamas has done nothing more than escalate the violence in the region. Hamas has signed cease fires and broken them repeatedly, and continues launching rockets into Israel.

Egypt was trying to broker a new cease fire agreement when Hamas launched the latest round of attacks. They brought this on themselves.