BARRY KAYE, of Counterpoint, St Mary's Court, Highweek Road, Newton Abbot, writes:
Much has been written of the Israeli response to the conflict by describing the Hamas campaign as a 'frequent but relatively harmless shower of rockets', even comparing body counts and the number of injured, so I take this opportunity to lay out the true threat facing Israel.
Hamas is capable of firing up to 200 Russian-made, Iranian-supplied rockets every day up to 40km (25 miles), putting much of Israel within range. During the previous 'ceasefire', Hamas took the opportunity to re-arm. The rockets are smuggled in by sea or through tunnels under the Egypt/Gaza border.
It is difficult not to be moved by the plight of the innocent civilians in Gaza, and Israel did not want this conflict, but it is bound to protect its citizens as every sovereign state has the right to do.
In Israeli towns near the border some families, including children, live their lives and go to school in air raid bunkers. There is little protection except that of the air raid siren.
In 2005, when Hamas won the Gaza elections, the rocket campaign began and Israel has said 'enough is enough' and, with little option, has undertaken a ground offensive in an attempt to wipe out the launch and control sites. Hamas deliberately conducts its activities from within civilian locations, using the Gazans as human shields.
In consequence of the media and other support, Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the north has felt emboldened in an attempt to open a second front by rocketing northern Israeli towns, this time using Lebanese civilians as human shields.
In concert with Syria, Iran is using both groups to fight a proxy war against Israel, not wishing to dirty its hands at this stage.