"Even during the cease-fire that lasted 6 months, Israel received rocket fire and didn't respond." (Peace)

Israel continued to carry out attacks which killed people in Gaza throughout the "ceasefire", as well as tightening a blockade which resulted in civilians dying.

Calling an end to the ceasefire was clearly a mistake on the part of Hamas, but it seems to have been something that the Israeli government was intending to bring about. The present onslaught has been neatly timed to take place during the dying days of the Bush regime, and in the run up to Israeli elections in February.

Presenting this as a desperate attempt to stop Israeli civilians being killed is merely spin. It seems certain that many more Israeli civilians are going to end up dead as a consequences of what is now happening - that is how these things always work.