Though, of course, violence and rocket fire are always terrible, the source of conflict has always been Israel's brutal occupation, which strips Palestinians of their rights, treats them like second-class citizens, and has created a large number of refugees in neighboring countries. As Israeli police brutalize Palestinian worshippers in Al-Aqsa, Israel, as the occupying power, is solely responsible for any retaliation undertaken by Palestinians.
Israel has continually made its desire to live in peace clear to both the Palestinians and their regional enablers, and the blame for Thursday's escalation sits squarely on Hamas and possibly Iran as well, which supports terrorists throughout the region, such as Hezbollah. Israel has no interest in another Lebanon war, as that would only aggravate the already tense situation in the region. However, it will not stand by and allow terrorists to freely target Israeli civilians.