Reportedly Israel is defying US pressure to avoid killing massive numbers of Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel's plans to attack HAMAS are based on the assumption that killing its leaders will destroy the organization.

This approach to a guerrilla organization with popular support basically never works.

HAMAS hopes that Israel will lose the war by being unable to wipe out HAMAS, while committing more and more atrocities. That could happen.

Israel would be wiser to refrain by choice from massacring Palestinians, based on recognizing the moral (and legal) obligation to do so.