The Times of London's foreign editor Richard Beeston calls it a Middle Eastern perfect storm: "Unlike corners of the globe afflicted by typhoons and hurricanes, the Middle East is blessed by good weather but plagued by recurring man-made disasters usually triggered by the lethal convergence of military and political interests," he commented in an article following the weekend attacks in the Gaza Strip.
"Ever since Hamas militants seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority 18 months ago, a full-scale military confrontation with Israel has been inevitable.
"Hamas is committed ideologically to the destruction of the Jewish State and its replacement with an Islamic alternative over the full territory of mandate Palestine.
"This, by itself, should not necessarily lead to violence. Syria has been in a state of war with Israel for more than 60 years but their common border has been quiet for decades.
"It is Hamas actions that have precipitated the current crisis.
"With the open support of Iran and Syria, the Islamic movement has smuggled arms into the strip and pioneered the use of homemade rockets to terrorise the quarter of a million Israelis living near Gaza," Beeston wrote.
". . .Israel's domestic politics is also a factor. The ruling Kadima party and its Labour ally are lagging behind the right-wing opposition Likud party in the polls ahead of elections on February 10.
"Launching a major military operation is risky - as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert learned to his cost after the disastrous Lebanon War in 2006 - but a victory of any sort in Gaza could help the coalition revive its electoral fortunes.
"The big question now is whether Israel is ready to carry out its threat to send ground forces into Gaza . . ."
The big question indeed.
The weekend violence came after a six-month ceasefire between Israel and Gaza militants ended on December 19, when Hamas refused to renew it.
According to the Israeli embassy in Australia, the reason for Israel's air attacks on Hamas security forces was that "just in the past few days, Hamas and its partners fired hundreds of rockets and mortar shells at Israeli population centres in southern Israel . . . the situation mandates military action for the sake of defending our citizens and giving them a normal life.
"A quarter of a million Israeli citizens have been under incessant terror attacks from the Gaza Strip with thousands of missiles fired over the past eight years.
"No country in the world would be willing to accept this kind of onslaught on its citizens."
That may well be the case, but the United Nations condemned the weekend airstrikes, which yesterday were estimated to have killed 270 people and wounded 600, as "disproportionate".
The UN Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillar, suggested the scale of the response was an overreaction.
The reaction from world leaders was mixed in regard to the scale of Israel's response - and the message from Western powers, that Israel had been provoked, was telling.
Politicians and delegates from all countries, however, were united in calling for an end to the violence from both sides, for calm, and for the renewal of the truce.
Such words are easily said.
There have been many efforts to negotiate peace agreements in the Middle East; many ceasefires and summits and talks and announcements.
Today, the world again watches as the area descends deeper into crisis.
Israel is amassing troops along its border with the Gaza Strip, its leaders talk of a military operation that will expand and deepen "as necessary".
Some in the Arab world have reportedly exhorted their followers to avenge the Israel attacks by targeting "interests and anything that has a link to Israel".
The threat of ongoing and terrible violence is very real.
Against this background are the upcoming elections in Israel, the attitude of the leadership of Hamas (no doubt shocked by the ferociousness of Israel's strikes) and, perhaps most tellingly, the taking of office of US President-elect Barack Obama on January 20.
No-one doubts the difficulties facing those in power. Amongst the difficulties are opportunities.
It is imperative those opportunities are recognised and acted upon.
