They blame it on Israel.

I'm very curious as to where you found that claim, Dave. None of the major papers are posting any declaration about Hamas specifically denying the current firing of rockets into southern Israel.

In the past, during the so-called ceasefire, and as I pointed out, Hamas largely let the smaller groups, like Islamic Jihad, do the rocket firing. Do you rebut that?

or do I think that everybody who hates Israel in Gaza is Hamas.

No, but you seem to be denying that they are most likely the ones responsible for the firing of the current rockets into areas like Beersheba, even though it has been widely reported that Hamas has been receiving longer-range rockets and support from Iran.

Comparing the lethality of the suicide bombings of 2002 with the rocket attacks of 2008 suggests that the long term result of Defensive Shield (along with a lot of other things) has been a dramatic reduction in the capability of Palestinian terrorist groups to kill Israeli civilians.

In light of that, it seems odd to suggest that it's virtually certain that Israel cannot substantially improve its security through military means - whatever the wisdom of the current operation.

Hamas has specifically denied responsibility. They blame it on Israel. I'd certainly be interested in your evidence that Hamas is responsible for the rocket attacks. Brett's inference above is pretty weak evidence—there are plenty of other explanations other than that Hamas is directly responsible for the rockets, e.g. it's easier to smuggle munitions into Gaza than into the West Bank, Hamas is less willing or able to prevent attacks than Fatah is, and so on.

I don't think that all Palestinians in Gaza are firing missiles into Israel nor do I think that everybody who hates Israel in Gaza is Hamas. Nor do I think that Israel's interests are synoymous with ours.

The lack of rockets flying in from the West Bank?

Brett, that's just Dave trying to define 'all Palestinians' as the enemy. He's the local Hannity.

The source of this trouble is not Hamas or even Israel. The source is the cash, advisers, and rockets that have been flowing in from Iran ever since their trial run two years ago in the Hezbollah War of July 2006. This is one well that needs to dry up.

Of course, this means that next time the Israelis let the Palestinians have a democratic election, they'd better mean it.

That strikes me as a rather oddly benign view of Hamas—they had many more options open to them than launching rockets into Israel. For example, they could have forsworn violence and enforced that in the Palestinian territories.

Why should they? Declaring a truce didn't bring them anything material - Israel continued and even tightened the blockade whether or not Hamas was actually firing rockets (as I pointed out). They didn't reign in Islamic Jihad and their ilk, but I can see why they didn't bother, when Israel's goal was basically to remove Hamas from power whether or not Hamas was attacking them.

Also, why is it assumed that Hamas is firing rockets into Israel rather than that Palestinians are firing rockets into Israel?

The lack of rockets flying in from the West Bank?

Much of the rockets during the "ceasefire" came from subsidiary groups like Islamic Jihad, which Hamas probably could have reined in, eventually (it takes time to track down and stop all those attacks, particularly since the short-range rockets can be made domestically in Gaza). But why should they? Israel wasn't going to reward them for it - Israel wanted Hamas out of power, and Fatah back in. Perhaps if they had actually offered to lift the blockade in exchange for Hamas reining in their flunkies, it might have made the difference, but no, that would be negotiating with terrorists.

I don't know about that - after Operation Defensive Shield, suicide bombings were dramatically reduced.

Also after Operation Defensive Shield, Hamas got their hands on a lot more capability for rocket attacks. Do you really think it was the operation that led to a decrease in suicide attacks? I suggest that it would be the increase in availability of other methods of attack.

In response, Hamas does what it can

That strikes me as a rather oddly benign view of Hamas—they had many more options open to them than launching rockets into Israel. For example, they could have forsworn violence and enforced that in the Palestinian territories.

Also, why is it assumed that Hamas is firing rockets into Israel rather than that Palestinians are firing rockets into Israel?

In response, Hamas does what it can ... it launches rockets. To which Israel tightens the blockade, to which Hamas launches more rockets. Finally, Israel decides this isn't working, and just does a smackdown on Gaza, leading to a great increase in Hamas-launched rockets, all for the purpose of . . .stopping rockets from landing on southern Israeli towns.