Tit for Tat

Hamas and Israel are currently attempting to kill civilians again. As usual Israel has escalated the original violence, generating more recruits for Hamas. President Obama is calling for a cease fire.
Escalation is the wrong response for either side. 

The most effective response (given game theory) when four people get wounded on your side is to wound exactly four people on the other side. Not five people or three people. The effect of an automatic tit for tat strategy is that the conflict becomes an unrewarding empty ritual, and people see that and it dies out.
 
The current conflict is not a war between the peoples of Gaza and Israel. It is a war between the leaders of Hamas and the leaders of Israel, fought for the purpose of keeping in power the leaders of Israel and Hamas. No doubt they hate one another--but they work together so well.