They wanted to hit Hamas hard before Obama gained power in the US.

yea, i think that there is only one answer to your question. they wanted to cause maximum destruction before barack obama became president.

They want to do as much as they can before it all ends in 2012.

My guess is that they want to take advantage of whatever little time Bush has left in office to do as much damage as possible with inpunity cause they know that he'll back them up no matter how egrigious their actions are

Right now Bush doesn't matter, and Obama isn't in power yet. They don't have to worry about what the US will say or do.

because it is nearly election time in israil and the entire nation is sick of being bombed by hamas rockets, even the cease fire hamas attacked them, at the end it became a elction issuie.

Because Bush gave them the Green light to go ahead with it . Their goal is to flatten Gaza and eliminate, not only Hamas but also the innocent citizens of Gaza while they are at. They are shooting at people walking in the streets with white flags proof in pictures at (http://english.aljazeera.net/) The US is to quick to judge Hamas because they are firing rockets but they dont ask themselves why they are doing this. Date back to Nov 4th Israel broke the Truce by killing 6 Palestinans, Hamas made a statement saying the truce is off. And the rockets began flying.

Ok let me ask something. The United States pretty much gave Israel permission to bomb Hamas because we say they are terrorizing Israel. If this is the case, why aren't we over there? Either we are hypocrites or we just used that as a simple excuse.

Blame Canada =)

Because Hamas were launching thousands of rockets into Israel and they finally chose to defend themselves.

Because that is when Hamas attacked Israel, they did not chose to be attacked at that time.

Because of the elections coming up in about a month. The current government wants to look tough and competent so that they will be re-elected. Doing it before Obama took control might be a minor factor, but the elections are the main one.

Israel defending it's self!!!!!!!!!!! .... by the way it has been (((((defending))))) it self very well now there's 888 kills "to heaven inshallah" and over 3000 and still counting...what do you people have to say about that..... Israel have used and still using all forbidden weapons in war.... phosphor bombs(imagine if it touches your skin it will keep burning it until it reaches the bone!!!) that's how Israel is defending it self ... long live democracy !!???..... so let me say to every one who still thinks that this war is against Hamas....that you don't know a clue.. 45% of the kills are civilians (women and children) that's if we count all the men as if they were Hamas members and carrying weapons...... wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone answered this question best, I don't remember who: They want to do as much as they can while they still have a friend in the Oval Office. Say rocketeer, Military campaigns require conflicting factions to economize their actions. This means you don't destroy more than what the mission requires. You use your troops to fight off troops, hand to hand, rifle to rifle, until they encounter a larger threat, like artillery. Then you use your artillery: fifty caliber weapons on vehicles; missiles for tanks and planes. You obviously don't fire five thousand rounds of rifle ammunition on a helicopter because it's a waste of ammunition. You use a missile. You don't use a missile against a soldier because it's overkill and missiles are expensive - you never know how many you're going to get. Infinite missile supplies exist only in comics and video games. REGARDLESS of how you deploy your forces, the underlying tactic of any military campaign is to meet threat against threat. Yes, Israel has the right to defend itself. Militants are firing at their people and it's resulting in loss of life. But please answer me this: at which point are children hiding in a UN CHARTER SCHOOL equal to the threat of a Mortar round? They could have confirmed the School as a threat with a guy on the ground called the 'Forward Observer.' It's the task of the forward observer to 'go forward' ahead of the main element to find and assess targets so that churches, embassys, civilians - schools - don't get obliterated in a hail of mortar fire. As Israel boasts to train "the best" military on the face of the Earth, I ask this: Where the fuck were their forward observers before the child-packed UN school got blown to kingdom come? Israel is using the militant attack as an excuse to unleash their anti-muslim angst on Palestine. Every Israeli I've ever spoken to has managed to call for the extermination of EVERY palestinian in each conversation. Yes, Palestine is just as bad. They're both fucked up and I'm tired of hearing about them. I'd love it if they'd nuke each other out of existence since they've both managed to remove peace from the equation. ...and that isn't anti-semitic so kindly spare the whining.

For three reasons: (1) before Bush who kisses their asses leaves office as Obama will be less likely to go along with this attrocity; (2) because of their upcoming elections; and (3) trying to vindicate themselves after the ass-kicking they got in Lebanon

Someone answered this question best, I don't remember who: They want to do as much as they can while they still have a friend in the Oval Office. Say rocketeer, Military campaigns require conflicting factions to economize their actions. This means you don't destroy more than what the mission requires. You use your troops to fight off troops, hand to hand, rifle to rifle, until they encounter a larger threat, like artillery. Then you use your artillery: fifty caliber weapons on vehicles; missiles for tanks and planes. You obviously don't fire five thousand rounds of rifle ammunition on a helicopter because it's a waste of ammunition. You use a missile. You don't use a missile against a soldier because it's overkill and missiles are expensive - you never know how many you're going to get. Infinite missile supplies exist only in comics and video games. REGARDLESS of how you deploy your forces, the underlying tactic of any military campaign is to meet threat against threat. Yes, Israel has the right to defend itself. Militants are firing at their people and it's resulting in loss of life. But please answer me this: at which point are children hiding in a UN CHARTER SCHOOL equal to the threat of a Mortar round? They could have confirmed the School as a threat with a guy on the ground called the 'Forward Observer.' It's the task of the forward observer to 'go forward' ahead of the main element to find and assess targets so that churches, embassys, civilians - schools - don't get obliterated in a hail of mortar fire. As Israel boasts to train "the best" military on the face of the Earth, I ask this: Where the fuck were their forward observers before the child-packed UN school got blown to kingdom come? Israel is using the militant attack as an excuse to unleash their anti-muslim angst on Palestine. Every Israeli I've ever spoken to has managed to call for the extermination of EVERY palestinian in each conversation. Yes, Palestine is just as bad. They're both fucked up and I'm tired of hearing about them. I'd love it if they'd nuke each other out of existence since they've both managed to remove peace from the equation. ...and that isn't anti-semitic so kindly spare the whining.

One last shot before a chance of administration in the US; their own upcoming elections and a shot at redeeming themselves for having miserably lost to Hezbollah in Lebanon

Even God gets tired of whiny brats.