1. Isn't Israel's massive response totally out of proportion?

Israel's response has been tailored to avoid civilian casualties while bringing sufficient pressure to bear on the Hamas-led government of the Palestinian Authority in order to effect the release of Gilad Shalit and end the rocketing of Israeli cities.
The fact that Palestinian terrorists have continued to hold Shalit and to fire Kassam rockets from Gaza despite the IDF operation is indicative of the gradual, rather than unbridled nature of the Israeli response.

2. Does one soldier's abduction justify creating a crisis for the entire region?

The abduction is the symptom, not the cause of the crisis. The region is in crisis due to the Palestinians' continuing refusal to fulfill their obligation to the international community to end terrorism. Neither has the Hamas government recognized Israel and the Israel-Palestinian agreements already signed.
Traditionally, the Jewish People must value the life of a single individual as if it were an entire world. For this reason, Israeli soldiers know that they will not be left behind on the battlefield, whether wounded or killed. Indeed, Israel has exchanged hundreds of terrorist prisoners to recover the bodies of a few fallen soldiers, when no other means were available to secure their return.

3.Why is Israel creating a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip

Contrary to Palestinian claims, there is no "humanitarian crisis" in Gaza Strip. Since all supplies pass through crossings under Israeli supervision, Israel has precise data on the amount of essential supplies available to the Palestinian population. For example, there is enough flour in Gaza today to last for more than a month, and Gaza gas stations have more than 1.3 million liters of various fuels.
Starting Sunday, July 2, the Karni crossing has been open to trucks carrying essential supplies of food and medicine to Gaza residents. Dozens of truckloads pass through Karni every day. The transfer of goods is coordinated with NGOs extending aid to the Palestinians. This, despite continued attempts by terrorist groups to attack these facilities - in blatant disregard for the impact their closure would have on the population at large.

4. Why must the entire Palestinian people suffer?

The Palestinian terrorists purposely manufacture, store and fire missiles at Israeli civilians from the midst of their own population. It is they themselves who bring suffering upon their own people by using them as shields for their terrorism. However, it must also be recalled that the Palestinian people themselves elected a government led by Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization that has acknowledged its complicity both in the rocket attacks and the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit. When Israel must take self-defensive action against this Hamas violence, the Palestinian people also bear a certain degree of responsibility for their choice.

My summation still stands: It’s still about the terrorism stupid!!

Israel Bonan