( CNN ) -- The current round of fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement , or Hamas , in Gaza has been raging for over three weeks . Both sides have suffered casualties -- the numbers are much higher on the Palestinian side , as they always are . The Palestinian death toll has exceeded 1,000 , while the Israelis have suffered fewer than 50 . There are many reasons for the huge disparity , not the least of which are the facts that the ground combat is taking place in densely populated Gaza , and the effectiveness of the Israeli anti-rocket/missile system known as Iron Dome . Despite calls by the Egyptians , the United Nations and the U.S. secretary of state , fighting not only continues , but has escalated in the last few days . Israeli airstrikes , missile and artillery attacks , and naval gunfire have increased in tempo and lethality . The targets of the Israeli attacks have also expanded into areas normally considered to be off-limits , such as the al-Amin mosque in Gaza City , struck during the early morning hours of July 29 . That same night saw attacks on the Hamas-run al-Aqsa radio station and homes of senior Hamas officials . This expands the target set beyond pure military targets and goes to the political structure of Hamas . The sole electrical power plant in Gaza was also in flames ; there are conflicting reports as to the actual cause . The Israelis claim that a Hamas rocket malfunctioned and landed short in the facility , while the Palestinians claim it was Israeli tank fire . In any case , the infrastructure of Gaza is being severely damaged . So , how does this end ? If one was to look at the previous conflicts in 2008 and 2012 , there would be a United Nations Security Council resolution and a cease-fire with conditions accepted by both sides . The fighting stops , repairs to the infrastructure begin and everyone hopes that this cease-fire will hold longer than the last one . This time seems different . There seems to be less willingness on both sides to look for the `` usual '' way out of the armed confrontation . The Israelis continue their operations despite withering international criticism over the high number of civilian casualties in Gaza ; they appear intent on achieving their stated goals of destroying the Hamas tunnels that threaten communities and kibbutzim inside Israel close to the Gaza frontier , and reducing , if not eliminating , Hamas ' substantial rocket inventory . On the other side , Hamas is also committed to continue the fight . Despite the surprising effectiveness of Israel 's Iron Dome anti-rocket system , which has dramatically blunted Hamas ' main threat to Israel , Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israeli cities . On the ground , the group appears to have adopted some of the tactics that Hezbollah used effectively against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon during the 2006 fighting . There are more ambushes , use of improvised explosive devices and tunnels to attack Israeli soldiers . Opinion : Five lessons of the Gaza war . There is another consideration influencing Hamas ' decision to continue the fight . Hamas knows that it will be much harder to re-arm after the end of this round of hostilities . The main sources of its rocket arsenal and other weapons have been Iran and Syria -- Hamas ' longest range rocket is the Syrian-made M-302 , capable of reaching targets 100 miles away . The weapons traditionally are smuggled into Gaza via a series of tunnels on the Egyptian border , after being smuggled from ports in Sudan and transported across the Sinai peninsula . With the removal of the government of President Mohammed Morsy in Egypt , Hamas has lost a valuable ally and source of political support . The new Egyptian government of former defense chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has beefed up its military presence on the border with Gaza and dismantled many of the tunnels into Gaza . El-Sisi considers Hamas to be nothing more than a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood , which he has outlawed in Egypt . Hamas can not expect assistance from that quarter as it has in the past . At some point , the fighting will end . As I said , though , this time it is different . Rather than the result of United Nations-brokered cease-fire and agreement , in my assessment it will end when the Israelis have inflicted what they believe is enough damage to Hamas to render it militarily ineffective . This means the destruction of Hamas ' rocket inventory and the destruction of all the tunnels Israeli forces can find . Only then will Israel quit . Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Israeli people to expect a long fight in Gaza : `` We will not finish the mission , we will not finish the operation , without neutralizing the tunnels ... which have the sole purpose of destroying our citizens , killing our children . '' I would take him at his word . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
In some ways , this conflict fits pattern of earlier clashes , but this conflict is different . Rick Francona says Israel seems determined to make Hamas militarily ineffective . Hamas knows it will be much harder to re - arm due to Israel 's opposition . Israel : Israel seems fixed on idea of neutralizing Hamas ' tunnels .