ISSUE: Israel invasion of Gaza

OUR VIEW: Action against Hamas justified

The Bush administration is right to support the Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip. While an end to the fighting with Hamas militants is desirable, a cease-fire at this juncture is not practical.

Speaking Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres laid out the position: "We shall not accept the idea that Hamas will continue to fire and we shall declare a cease-fire. It does not make any sense."

Peres is referencing the continuation of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, a pattern of violence that prompted the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Israel has made it clear it does not wish to reoccupy Gaza, which it left in 2005, and is not committed even to crushing Hama, except to the extent that peace can be achieved for the people in southern Israel.

It is not too much for Israel to expect that its citizens not be subjected to constant terror from the air. The Jewish state's military is capable of putting an end to the Hamas-inspired violence and is determined to do so.

From Gaza, Hamas continued to fire rockets on Monday, including one that struck an empty kindergarten in the city of Ashdod. The organization vows to make Gaza and graveyard for Israeli forces.

The United States has blocked any U.N. efforts to force a cease-fire, but the State Department said it is pressing for a halt to the violence, but with appropriate conditions including an end to the rocket attacks.

There are no signs that Hamas intends to cease and desist.

On Monday, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar exhorted Palestinians to fight the Israeli forces and target Israeli civilians.

"The Zionists have legitimized the killing of their children by killing our children. They have legitimized the killing of their people all over the world by killing our people," Zahar said in a grainy video broadcast on Hamas TV.

Thus Israel will continue, with justification.

Again quoting Peres: Well, clearly, if there is somebody (who) can stop terror with a different strategy, we shall accept it."

For now, no one -- not the United States, the United Nations, the European Union nor Arab states -- appears to be able to influence the situation enough to end the violence.

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