Sir: Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza, claiming hundreds of lives and injuring thousands, is shocking. This is an extremely disproportionate response to the equally irresponsible provocation by Hamas (which fired makeshift rockets into Israeli territory). The only losers in this conflict will be the common Gazans whose daily routine is now centred solely around survival. The Israelis have rejected a proposal by France for a 48-hour ceasefire, and it remains to be seen if it will allow the international media into Gaza. Further, there are worrying reports that Israeli battle tanks are being readied for a full-scale ground invasion a la Lebanon 1982. If Israel decides to go ahead with a full invasion, it will be making a massive mistake. We should not forget that in 2006, Israel attempted something similar in South Lebanon with similar objectives of ousting Hezbollah. That attempt was met with defeat, and international opinion swiftly turned against Israel. Israel should recognize that organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah are now a part of the equation, and simply casting them off as terrorists and refusing to talk to them will only prolong the stalemate. Further, such military action only provokes further reaction from these groups, and now the common population will also side with them, increasing their recruitment.The Middle East is one of the most unfortunate places on earth. One hopes that all sides will see the light and will pursue actions that promote peace, not war.ZAINAB ALIKarachi