It seems to me that when there is an armed conflict between a strong power and a weak power, the weak power turns to terrorism and the strong power to massive retaliation. This was true of the Americans government and the Indians, the Nazis and the resistance, the English and the Irish....
It's certainly a lousy system, but I really can't see that either side is justified in its actions. And, sadly, the only way I can see of stopping it is through a force superior to both parties.