[NYC GOP Chick]

For example, if the objective is to eliminate a military threat, it is proportionate to destroy weapons, supply routes and military personnel, but not government structures or civilian areas.

But what happens when the government IS the terrorists, as in the case of Hamas in Gaza?

And then there's the fact that the oh so manly terrorists hide among civilians. Whether you want to accept it or not, the IDF has been quite accurate in pinpointing the terrorists and minimizing civilian casualties as best as they can.

[annalex]

I think, regime change is a legitimate goal for Israel, and the mingling of combatants with civilians is the challenge for them, and both tasks can be acheived with a ground invasion, while aerial bombardment only strengthens Hamas and the civilian resolve.

US, and by extension Israel have boxed themselves in by deifying democracy. The result was legitimately elected Hamas. Parenthetically, we nearly avoided a democratically elected anti-American government in Iraq and got one in Iran.