Despite Egypt's mediation, violence in the Gaza Strip appears to have worsened with continued Israeli strikes on Gaza and the threat of a ground assault against Hamas. It remains to be seen how far away a truce is.

Israel, with its military superiority, has launched the most intensive bombing campaign against Gaza in four years. The clashes have so far killed 56 Palestinians and three Israelis. Ahmed Jabari, the top chief of Hamas, was killed in the air strike on November 14. The clash has extended to the twitter sphere where the two sides exchanged threatening words.

Hong Lei, the spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the conflicts once again highlighted the importance and urgency of finding a solution to Palestinian problem. In a press conference Thursday, he urged all relevant parties, especially Israel, to keep maximum restraint, to avoid escalating tensions. Washington meanwhile has expressed support for Israel's right to self-defense, though President Barack Obama also stressed the urgency of stopping the violence.

The upcoming election has emboldened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take tough actions against the long-time foe of Hamas. The attacks may also be intended to disrupt the Palestinian Authority's application to become a UN observing member. 

The Hamas-run Ministry of Health indicated that 70 percent of Palestinian casualties were civilians. This merciless attack has soured relations between Israel and regional Arab countries that have been becoming more conservative since the Arab Spring. Egypt has recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest. The Arab League also condemned the Israeli attack. In the long struggle to reach peace between Israel and Palestine, the parties have been better at showing toughness, but worse when it comes to making compromises, especially the more powerful side. Israel's hawkish government is disrupting the delicate situation in the Middle East. Analysts believe that even though Israel may consider a truce in consideration of ties with Egypt, it is unlikely that Israel will agree to the terms raised by Hamas for a ceasefire agreement, burying the seeds for more conflict in the future.

Pressure is mounting for Israel to de-escalate the tension in Gaza, while Israel is still increasing its military presence along the border area, possibly in preparation for a ground attack. A large-scale military confrontation would be too high a price for all parties involved.