Before we get into the debate whether Israel's invasion of Gaza was justifies or not, lets review what happened during and before the invasion.
According to Reuters after Hamas declared end of six month cease fire on December 18th, Israel launched air attacks on Gaza. This was in response to an attack from Gaza. In the Israeli attack 229 Palestinians were killed. Some were Hamas members, though no one was a high ranking member or in a decision making position. Majority of civilians were killed including women and children.
During the entire period of assault on Gaza, 900 Palestinians were killed, most of them civilians. Israel also suffered casualties but the numbers don't compare a bit to what the Palestinians had to endure.
Israel also fire missiles into an Islamic University, a U.N run school. Their tank shells killed UNRWA relief workers. There also been accusation from medical professionals in Gaza that Israel used deadly phosphorous bombs which are actually banned.
It is not a fun exercise to nitpick when millions are suffering but in Gaza of Israeli assault on Gaza, this is what we have been reduced. Look at the gory details of children found starving along side their dead mothers, parents crying over their dead children and you will realize that what was thrown into Gaza was way beyond "justified response". Israel launched a deadly attack against Palestinians in Gaza and its response was not justified.
It is also important to note here that Hamas is indeed a terrorist organization. It is also to blame for the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. The organizations and its leaders have to be held accountable for the way pushed Gaza into a brink of total collapse to gain political mileage. Those who feel for the Palestinian people should strongly come forward and denounce Hamas. But, while denouncing Hamas it is also important to denounce Israel for its use of excessive force.
How can you justify constantly shelling a mass of people who have held virtually captive in a small area who have no national military or security force or a defense mechanism to safeguard its people. The whole world knows Palestinians are not capable of standing up to Israel's military might. And still Israel used its full force to crush the people who are living as refugees in their own land.
I support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorists, its right to exist and prosper but in no way Israel more important than the Palestinian people. It has no right terrorizing and killing a group of people because of the misdeeds of their leaders and some organizations that exist in their midst.
What Israel did in Gaza was truly abominable.