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period approached, both sides declared that they did not want to continue. Israel called for new negotiations with the possibility of international monitors. Hamas called for renewed aggression. Rockets and mortars again began to rain onto Southern Israel, as many as 70 a day. Even with the six month ceasefire, the reported figure for the number of rockets and mortar shells shot into Israel rises well above 3,000.

Hamas miscalculated Israel's likely response, apparently believing that Israel would not launch a major offensive during a run-up to elections. Israel's Defense Minister, on the other hand, seemed to find a good opportunity to promote his own election chances. Thus, in response to Hamas' aggressive increase of attacks, Israel attacked aggressively on 29 December 2008. Within four minutes, Israel Air Force jets and missiles destroyed much of Hamas' infrastructure, including weapons factories and storehouses, police and security buildings, and government buildings. Even reports from Palestinian sources admitted that most of the casualties in the initial onslaught were security forces, police, and Hamas militants. However, as the battle raged on for days, increasing civilian casualties have raised humanitarian concerns throughout the world. The U.N. reported that up to 25% of the casualties were civilian casualties before Israel entered on the ground.

Why did Israel attack at this time, after years of provocation? One reason is politics. The Israel government had failed to make a coalition and elections are scheduled for February 2009. The sitting Kedima Party Prime Minister, Ehud Ohlmert, resigned under pressure from criminal investigations and is only a caretaker until elections, after Tzipi Livny, the Foreign Minister and current leader of Kedima, could not gain the necessary votes to form a government. Ehud Barak, the Defense Minister and leader of the Labor Party, seeks the Prime Minister position, but was behind the right wing Likud Party's Benjamin Netenyahu in the polls. Netenyahu had harsh words for the situation with Gaza, Hamas, and the current government and led the polls strongly. Until Barak, Livni, and Ohlmert launched "Operation Cast Lead" against Gaza. Barak, known for his belligerence and recent aggressive attitude toward Gaza and now seen as the force behind the forces in Gaza, has significantly closed the gap between himself and Netenyahu, and may have a chance of becoming the next Prime Minister.

Another reason that Israel launched

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