Separate but unequal peaces

So now we have a pair of unilateral but unequal cease fire declarations. The first come for Israel which has ostensibly declared that it has met all of its military objectives. The second comes from the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and apparently covers all the belligerent factions that take up residence there. The second is only a week long and likely is some kind of compromise between the Gaza branch confronting the unpleasant facts on the ground and the Damascus branch that seems to view the Gazans as cannon fodder in its war on Israel. Egypt and the EU are attempting to turn the cease-fire into a more durable truce. Hamas wants the border crossings opened. Israeli wants an end to weapons shipments and rocket attacks. The Palestinian town of Beit Lahiya is a ruin, and perhaps as many as 40,000 were returning to their homes in Rafah after fleeing the fighting. Despite the airwave wars that played out during the fighting, neither side exactly occupies the moral high ground in this asymmetrical struggle which is likely to continue. Sadly, the Palestinians are just as likely to launch rockets all over again while continuing to miss an opportunity for a peaceful solution.