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What took Israel so long to declare that Hamas-controlled Gaza is a hostile entity? You would think that the hundreds of kassam rockets fired into Israel would have been a clue?

The unanimous Cabinet vote represents a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Under a plan proposed by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Israel would disrupt electrical supplies, reduce fuel shipments to a bare minimum to run hospital generators, and choke off shipments of goods to allow only essential food and medicine to enter Gaza. In addition, it will continue military operations "against terror organizations."

The ministers, however, voted not to disrupt the water supply to Gaza, the home of 1.4 million Palestinians.

Israel Radio reported that Hamas leader Ismail Haniya had met with a leader of Islamic Jihad to push for a halt in the firing of Qassam rockets into Israel.

Never in the history of warfare have we seen one side purposefully continue to provide infrastructure to the other. Israel continues to provide power, water, and humanitarian aid to Hamas-controlled Gaza, and all Hamas does in return is continue to indoctrinate Gazans to seek jihad and kill Israelis by any means necessary.

I also take exception to the claim that this is a major escalation of the conflict. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad firing rockets against Israel - and Sderot in particular - on a near daily basis, is an ongoing escalation of the war Hamas has been waging against Israel for years. The goal for these terrorists is to try and kill as many Israelis as possible, and has gotten far more adept at firing those rockets against day care centers and apartment buildings in Sderot.

Israel simply treating one of its enemies as such is not escalation. It is a recognition of the facts on the ground. Treat the enemies as such. It is well past time for coddling and half measures that do nothing except encourage further attacks because they are seen as signs of weakness, not restraint.