At least 30 Gazans killed in strike on UN school; IDF: Troops fired in self-defense

Israel's declared goals include the halting of all cross-border rocket fire into southern Israel, in addition to the elimination of Hamas' infrastructure. For the Israel government that includes the deliberate and illegal destruction of the power plants and other civilian infrastructure, the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque (mid-prayer), the Islamic University (the largest university in Gaza), the American International School, civilian homes and refugee camps. Or one could just bomb a UN school sheltering civilians in Jabalya refugee camp.

Dr. Juan Cole, professor of history at University of Michigan, describes the inherent contradiction in Israeli's muddled policy:

Hamas won the elections for the Palestine Authority in January 2006 and formed a government; yet Livni objects even to speaking of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, because Hamas, she says, is just a terrorist organization. (It has engaged in terrorist tactics, just as Livni has committed state terror on a large scale, as with dropping a million cluster bombs on civilian areas of south Lebanon; but Hamas isn't "just" a terrorist organization, or Livni's bombing of policemen and the ministry of interior in Gaza would make no sense; she thinks it was the government of Gaza, obviously. Hamas has engaged in diplomacy, has called truces, etc. It is made up of human beings, not demons.)

• Situation Report from the Humanitarian Coordinator (the most recent of the daily reports): United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

• An Expert's Comment from Chatham House: Conflict in Gaza. 'The Israeli attack offers no remedy, rather it is a symptom and cause of the open-ended Israeli-Palestinian conflict and it is seriously harming a civilian population already enduring great hardship. Israel has tried and failed to crush Hamas and other Palestinian groups before and it has no clear plan for ending the conflict with Hamas or its occupation of Palestinian territory. Israel cannot impose its will by force and one day it will need to talk to the people it is currently punishing through bombardment and blockade.' - Robert Lowe

- mr