It is impossible to truly comprehend the situation in Gaza without understanding Hamas' aims and the means it is willing to deploy to achieve them.
Hamas exists to destroy Israel, not to help the people of Gaza. And this Islamist terrorist organization does not care how many Palestinian lives it must sacrifice to achieve this goal.
In the summer of 2014, Hamas launched an unprovoked attack during which nearly 4,400 rockets were fired at Israeli civilians. But Hamas' efforts are not limited to the use of force. Instead, it hopes to weaken Israel through the application of international pressure.
A major component of Hamas' strategy is the amplification of the narrative of Palestinian victimhood. To help accomplish this, Hamas deliberately places civilians in harm's way. Among other methods, Hamas uses Palestinian families as human shields, launches rockets from civilian areas and attacks Israeli forces from hospitals and near schools.
Additionally, Hamas lies about casualty figures, reporting terrorists as civilian casualties.
The best way to help people in the Gaza Strip is to actively condemn Hamas' exploitation of civilians. Only when this terrorist organization realizes that the world is ready to place the blame for any suffering in Gaza where it truly belongs - on Hamas - will Gazans be able to live in peace.