Israel Must Learn the Limits of Bombing and Violence in Palestine

The Israelis may achieve a measure of security for their southern communities in the short run (another cease-fire seems inevitable), but Hamas will live to fight another day. Without a clear military solution to the conflict, Israel will ultimately end up, one way or another, having to negotiate with one of its most bitter enemies. To do otherwise is to fate the almost 1 million Israelis who live within rocket range of Gaza and the 1.5 million Palestinians who live there to endless convulsions of violence.

Steven A. Cook is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

• Read more about Israel.
• Read more about Hamas.
• Read more about terrorism.
• Read more about the Middle East.