Israel continues to pummel Gaza, as pressure for a ceasefire grows

THE FIGHTING between Israel and Hamas has entered its second week. “The orders are to continue hitting at terror targets,” says Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, of his country’s bombardment of Gaza. “We will continue to act as long as needed to restore calm and security to all Israel’s citizens.” Hamas, which controls Gaza, continues to volley rockets at Israel. It and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant faction, have fired over 3,000 since the battle began on May 10th. But, behind the scenes, both Israel and Hamas are looking for a way out.Start with Hamas, which has used the conflict to stake its claim to the Palestinian leadership. While Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and leader of the rival Fatah party, has tried to stop protests in the West Bank, Hamas has portrayed itself as the defender of Palestinian protesters who have clashed with Israeli police in Jerusalem in recent weeks. But Hamas has paid a heavy price. Israel has destroyed its offices, tunnels and weapons-development facilities, and killed several of its senior commanders.