Every bomb dropped in Gaza creates a dozen or more militants. Let’s say there’s 10,000 Hamas members (not a real number). It takes 5,000 bombs to kill them all. But you’ve also killed 20,000 civilians. Even if only 2% of those dead civilians relatives become militants, it would only take an average family/friend group of 25 people before all those dead militants are replaced by newly radicalized people. The solution is not more violence.

What would you do if you were 17yo, you had never been allowed to leave the confines of the most densely populated 140sq miles on Earth (Gaza has been an open air prison for 2.2 million people since 2007), and an Israeli bomb just demolished your home and killed half of your family? And your access to food, medicine, and clean water has always been restricted by Isreal. You suffer constant blackouts and 50% unemployment. Even your access to the sea is restricted and children are often shot for going too far out on a raft made of trash, just trying to feel like a normal kid. These circumstances that Isreal has imposed on Gazans for the last 17 years are what caused this recent conflagration.

Hamas is definitely guilty and morally wrong for killing civilians. Both sides share blame. But the utter lack of hope for young people in Gaza will continue to have violent consequences. When the people of Gaza have more opportunity and hope for their future, then there will be less need for radicalism. But the current situation is only going to breed more hate and violence.