[c2siOlIk]

A situation that is largely of Hamas's making.

Israel offered to extend the cease-fire - but Hamas refused. Guess they forgot that when you aren't at peace, you're at war. Israel called their bluff, and as always, its the civilians in the middle who pay for the posturing of the powerful.

Now Hamas either has to lose face and sign another cease-fire with terms more favorable to Israel, or try to provoke Israel into invading - with the hope of "winning" on the ground, and getting terms more favorable to Hamas.

I expect that they will take the politically safer course - let the civilians die on the ground, and launch as many attacks and rockets as they can - hoping they can score a hit on a school, a mall, or an old-age home - and get those Israeli troops back into Gaza - where Hamas wants them.