The severe incident in Beit Hanun in the Gaza Strip has again dragged the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a gloomy crossroad from both a tactical and strategic perspective. From the tactical perspective, it's clear that the lessons of June, when seven members of a Palestinian family were killed on a Gaza beach by errant Israeli artillery fire, were not implemented. Evidence of this is the fact that the new division commander in the Gaza Strip, Brigadier General Chico Tamir, asked for a reduction of artillery fire when he assumed his new assignment. It was clear then that artillery fire against densely populated areas would end up killing many civilians.

"At this stage, the IDF should cease its 'fire box' artillery shelling, which includes possibilities for repeated mistakes," Haaretz wrote in June. "What the Americans allow themselves to do in Iraq and Afghanistan, the IDF cannot allow itself."

In principle, it is correct to argue that the Beit Hanun affair did not begin there; it was preceded by four Qassam rockets that landed in the heart of Ashkelon the previous day. Two other rockets were fired at Sderot yesterday morning.

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No country would remain indifferent to rocket fire on its cities. The only problem is the lack of proportionality regarding Israel's response. During the war in Lebanon, many people in Europe asked: "Why aren't there many more Israeli fatalities from Hezbollah's missile fire?" Apparently, support for Israel would have increased if more Israelis had been killed.

Indeed, even in a clear case of self-defense, the killing of many innocent civilians, and especially children, is intolerable. Israel is not engaged in all-out war with the Palestinians. The proof of this is that Israel is prepared to open the border passages in the Gaza Strip. And this is despite attempts to smuggle explosives through these passages for use in terror attacks in Israel, and despite the fact that terror organizations are trying to strike at these passages, which represent a conduit for the delivery of food into Gaza and the shipment of goods out of the area.

Just as Israel is not placing a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, it should also refrain from expanding the number of civilians injured while confronting Palestinian terror. Therefore, there is no need for another commission of inquiry, even if headed by a major general, because the situation is clear.

From a military perspective, it must be acknowledged that the IDF has in fact failed in its war against the Qassam rockets. This war began long before the second Lebanon war, and Israel has yet to find an appropriate military or technological solution that does not entail an expansion of the war. Sadly, the IDF today is not providing the requisite security to Israel's citizens.

After the war in Lebanon and the failure in neutralizing Hezbollah's short-range rockets, it was clear that Israel would lose its patience with the Palestinians who continue to fire Qassams. It's unclear to what extent the artillery corps succeeded in hitting Hezbollah during the war, but it is now unintentionally hitting many civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Israel finds itself in a dire strategic situation, but there are some openings. The bad thing is that Israel has been thrust into a dangerous political-strategic vacuum. It faces four extremist entities: Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas. With regard to two of them, Iran and Hezbollah, there is not even a tiny opening for negotiations and an accord. Israel itself placed the other two, Syria and Hamas, in a political-strategic vacuum.

Syria, which is ready to recognize Israel, is being told that there's nothing to talk about. Hamas, which does not want to recognize Israel and previous agreements with Israel, has been isolated by the international community. Instead of talking, Israel has become an observer that deploys artillery. For months, Israel has avoided negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas. By doing so, Israeli is strengthening Palestinian extremists, and what is happening in the Gaza Strip is adding fuel to the bonfire.