What was the result of Israel's efforts to end the rocket and terrorist attacks on its civilians through diplomatic channels?

                                                                                         

Neither Israel's diplomatic overtures, nor its pleas to the international community, nor sanctions imposed by numerous countries, were able to stop the rocket attacks.

Even after Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Hamas rejected coexistence, proclaiming its commitment to violence. On June 25, 2006, Palestinians terrorists from Gaza attacked an Israeli army post after crossing into Israel through an underground tunnel, killing two IDF soldiers, wounding four others and capturing the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. For over three years, Shalit has been held incommunicado by Hamas, and all representatives, including the ICRC, have been denied any access to Shalit.

Hamas obtained military supplies through a vast network of tunnels and clandestine arms shipments from Iran and Syria. While Israel sought a diplomatic solution, the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, particularly Hamas, worked intensively to increase their military capabilities, abusing the Tahadiya (the lull) to smuggle in vast quantities of weapons, and to intensify their training, acquire advanced weaponry, develop weapons of their own, and increase the range and lethality of their rockets.

On December 19, 2008, Hamas unilaterally announced the end of the Tahadiya, launching dozens of Qassam and longer-range Grad rockets against Israeli population centers. When the U.N. Secretary-General strongly condemned Hamas' actions, Hamas launched thirty more rockets into Israel the same day. Hamas persisted in launching its rockets and mortar rounds at Israel on a daily basis, and once the IDF began the Gaza operation, Hamas stepped up its bombardment of Israeli towns even further.

Hamas attacks were often so indiscriminate that they even inflicted casualties on the Palestinian population and damaged U.N. humanitarian installations inside Gaza. None of those casualties can be attributed to Israeli action. Instead, they serve to demonstrate the wholly indiscriminate nature of Hamas' attacks and total disregard of human life including the Palestinian population under their control.

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