It’s hard to imagine what any of these people are thinking beyond thoughts of revenge. The tit for tat is an endless cycle. I suppose Hamas is hoping others will join in, but flat out attacking civilians doesn’t seem likely to garner much sympathy, but that could change as things go on and civilian bodies pile up on their side too.
Ahhhh, my new word of the day. Meaning: destructive to both sides in a conflict. I can count on this forum to increase my vocabulary.