ama ▁administration . ▁The ▁aim ▁of ▁the ▁attack , ▁which ▁also ▁included ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁of ▁Sud an ▁and ▁the ▁s inking ▁of ▁a ▁ship ▁in ▁the ▁Red ▁Sea , ▁remains ▁open ▁to ▁spec ulation , ▁cont ends ▁the ▁author , ▁but ▁has ▁resulted ▁in ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁support ▁for ▁H A MA S ▁and ▁other ▁milit ant ▁Islam ist ▁groups ▁across ▁the ▁region . ▁The ▁author ▁maintain s ▁that , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁specific ▁viol ations ▁such ▁as ▁deploy ing ▁US - made ▁white ▁ph osph orus ▁shell s ▁in ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁al - Q ud s ▁hospital ▁and ▁the ▁UN R WA ▁comp ounds , ▁the ▁entire ▁operation , ▁aim ed ▁at ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁all ▁means ▁of ▁life ▁including ▁agricult ure , ▁fish eries , ▁industry ▁and ▁univers ities , ▁was ▁itself ▁a ▁war ▁crime . ▁The ▁Isra eli ▁authorities ▁had , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁author , ▁no ▁right ▁to ▁use ▁force ▁to ▁defend ▁itself ▁against ▁the ▁ro cket ▁attacks ▁from ▁Gaz a ▁while ▁other ▁more ▁effective ▁solutions ▁were ▁open ▁to ▁them , ▁including ▁the ▁proposed ▁res umption ▁of ▁the ▁ce ase fire ▁viol ated ▁by ▁Israel ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁lif ting ▁of ▁the ▁block ade . ▁The ▁author ▁con cludes ▁that ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁authorities ▁want ▁peace ▁but , ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁long standing ▁policy ▁that ▁puts ▁expansion ▁over ▁security , ▁want ▁to ▁delay ▁that ▁peace ▁for ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁necessary ▁to ▁ensure ▁they ▁can ▁control ▁the ▁maximum ▁amount ▁of ▁land , ▁and ▁that ▁this ▁attack ,