The harsh photographs and reports arriving from Gaza in recent days reflect sometimes an unbalanced, inaccurate picture of the current crisis in Gaza.

An impartial analysis of the sequence of events should not start last Saturday, but rather, eight years ago.

In the last eight years, hundreds of thousands of Israelis are living in danger of daily attacks by Hamas' Kassam rockets.

Recently, Hamas launched more than 100 rockets and mortar shells on the Israeli civilian population on a daily basis. Thousands of families, live everyday in a state of constant fear and anxiety. Women and men that are leaving their homes for their workplace, children on their way to kindergartens and schools -- all of them do not know whether they will return home safely.

In the last year, thousands of rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip in a massive attack against innocent Israeli civilians. One can only be sorry that some of the media organizations who now dedicate a massive coverage to the events in Gaza, and rightly so, choose to completely ignore the reality of everyday life and suffering of hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have lived for many years now, under these attacks by Hamas.

In the last years, Israel's government decided not to react to these daily attacks in order to prevent an escalation and to avoid a military confrontation. Israel preferred to explore all political and diplomatic possibilities with the aim of avoiding the use of force, even on a cost of domestic criticism against the government, which refrained from any retaliation to Hamas' attacks.

This is how a new reality was created in Gaza. Hamas got used to a reality in which it can do anything: it can dictate the events; it can attack whenever it wants, without any Israeli response.

About a week ago, Hamas had announced that it rejects the ceasefire that was reached six months ago, resuming its massive rocket attacks all over the Southern region of Israel.

This time, the Israeli government decided to change the rules of the game, to change the strategic reality and to stop Hamas' attacks against Israel. The Israeli government decided to fulfill its obligation towards its citizens and to protect their lives. This obligation of the government is a basic, elementary and moral obligation of any government in the world towards its citizens.

In this respect, Israel is no different from any other country in the world. The words that most Israelis use in the last week are simply "Enough is Enough!" It is now time to defend ourselves. Israel's goal for the current military operation is explicitly defined and clear: To stop Hamas from attacking Israel.

Those who accuse Israel of having an "over proportional" reaction, tend to ignore the nature of Hamas. Hamas is a radical, religious, fundamentalist terror organization which operates under the direct influence of Iran and carries Jihadistic dreams that includes first and foremost, the annihilation of the state of Israel.

One should not ignore the ideology of that organization. Hamas does not demand anything from Israel. Neither does it wishes to negotiate with Israel, since it's very basic ideology rejects the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own. It rejects, therefore, the very existence of Israel no matter in which borders.

Hence, any diplomatic or political dialogue with this organization is practically impossible. Even the most pragmatic approach should pose the question: What can be a basis of negotiating with Hamas -- the terms of destroying the state of Israel?

Israel is conducting its military strike only against Hamas' military installations.

While Israel is making utmost attempts to avoid hitting civilians, Hamas is deliberately aiming only and specifically at Israeli civilians. Moreover, Hamas is cynically launching its rockets from the most populated civilian neighborhoods of Gaza, being aware of Israel's sensitivity to hitting civilians. This is not only a tactical difference, it is a basic moral difference that should not be ignored.

The reality of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has another face. Hamas is not the only representative of the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinian authority are conducting negotiations, with the aim of reaching a peaceful solution and a peace treaty, based on mutual understanding and a historic compromise.

Israel's Prime Minister Olmert and the President of the Palestinian Authority are meeting almost on a weekly basis, trying to reach a pragmatic and constructive solution to all disputes between the two peoples.

Israel wishes to reach a compromise and is ready to pay a heavy price in order to reach this compromise. A vast majority of Israelis support the establishing of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state that will live side by side with Israel.

Unlike the Palestinian authority which presents to the Palestinians a better future, all that Hamas is offering to the Palestinian people is no more than a continuation of the war, the bloodshed and the misery that is leading them nowhere.

It is for the Palestinians to decide which path they will choose.

The writer is Ambassador of Israel in Singapore.

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