On Tuesday evening, Hamas renewed its rocket fire at Israel with as much force as it could muster, in an effort to pierce through Iron Dome's shield. This is not surprising. Hamas' leadership is made up of crooks, tricksters, liars, scam artists, people who are simply not trustworthy -- they cannot even be depended on to honor their commitment to a 24-hour cease-fire. Because they are like this, it is actually preferable to reach temporary agreements with them rather than trust them to work out a permanent deal. There is no peace with them, only crisis management as long as the Israel Defense Forces has the upper hand. Considering this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz acted correctly -- on the one hand, they launched strikes that were more forceful than the ones noted in 2008's Operation Cast Lead and 2012's Operation Pillar of Defense, and on the other hand, they exercised wise restraint. However, it became clear Tuesday that the intractable Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal -- who is hiding in Qatar and meeting, like a raven and a starling, with Balad MK Hanin Zoabi and her colleagues -- is dictating the Palestinians' position in the talks, and though they despise him, they do not dare disobey him. Israel gave the talks in Cairo a fair chance, but at the moment, there is no viable diplomatic horizon and Hamas cannot be allowed to navigate the negotiations. That is why Israel responded to the cease-fire violation on Tuesday with a massive airstrike. It was an appropriate move -- as suggested by Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett. Not that his opinion was always correct. Netanyahu, Ya'alon and Gantz responsibly provided an opportunity for the truce to hold, and for quiet to be restored, but now -- even with their views on incremental action -- the right thing to do is to at least try to mount a more forceful response, in addition to Bennett's overly generous offer to open the Gaza border crossings. It is worth trying, even if it becomes clear that there is no solution for this crisis. Perhaps surgical strikes are also necessary, the ones former Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin called "tricks" -- as they say, "For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; and in the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 24:6) -- along with expanding the diplomatic front. There is no need to give up on talks in Cairo, but rather to follow the position of Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Dr. Yossi Beilin, and bar Hamas from the negotiations. Israel must also strive to add this key element: A political effort similar to what Livni is suggesting, that would involve an international decision on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in exchange for its full demilitarization. Israel should also offer to increase its support of the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas. Finance Minister Yair Lapid's suggestion is also not far off. Although an international regional conference may leave Israel completely isolated, but it is also possible that the public diplomacy campaign it would entail is actually necessary, ahead of the donor conference for Gaza on Sept. 22. There is no guarantee these military and diplomatic ideas will bear fruit. The emphasis still needs to be on an aggressive military campaign and on the Egyptian brokered negotiations. But we must also consider options that require thinking outside the box. Not instead of what is being done, but in addition to it. Why should we try new options now? Because now, with Tuesday's cease-fire violation, there is more faith in the truth that Israel is trying hard and offering its hand, even to Hamas, and the rockets only demonstrate the old-new-constant feeling that there is simply no one to talk to in Hamas.
