The grim game of chicken and egg has begun again.

The assassinations by Israeli forces of two young (but reportedly high ranking) Islamic Jihad men in Tulkarem on Sunday has set in motion a predictable and tragic cycle of violence that seems, for the moment, unstoppable.

The assassinations were followed by a suicide bombing attack in the town of Khdeira (Hadera) yesterday, which killed 5 and wounded at least 20 Israeli civilians, and which was allegedly perpetrated by al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) to avenge the assassinations. The suicide bombing was, in turn, followed promptly by violent incursions by Israeli forces this morning, first into the West Bank town of Qabatia (home to the young suicide bomber) and then into Jenin, Tulkarem and Hebron and several other surrounding villages. At least nine alleged Islamic Jihad men, along with the father of the suicide bomber, have been arrested thus far by Israeli forces. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes continue to pound Gaza for the third consecutive day, and a newly-built bridge in the village of Beit Hanoun has been destroyed as a consequence. Both the West Bank and Gaza have been sealed off indefinitely by Israeli forces; all checkpoints have been closed; and many Palestinian towns in the northern West Bank and Gaza are under curfew.

While the jeeps and tanks continue to roll into targeted Palestinian towns, while gun-fire continues to shatter the uneasy silence, and while Apache helicopters continue to circle the skies, the hapless, terrorized civilians of the West Bank and Gaza have no choice but to wait in their homes for the next round of violence, which has been promised in no uncertain terms today by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's call for a “broad and nonstop” offensive against terror. Prime Minister Sharon has also called off all diplomatic contacts between Israel and Palestine, and a meeting scheduled today between diplomats from both sides to discuss transportation issues in Gaza has been cancelled.

The Israeli government has not paused to consider if any of this might have been prevented – if, for example, it had chosen to arrest the two Islamic Jihad militants and given them a fair trial, instead of assassinating them; if, for example, it had reacted to the suicide bombing not by terrorizing innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank but by working with Palestinian counterparts to bring all those responsible for the attack to justice; if, for example, it had chosen to help President Abbas, who has condemned the suicide attack and all such attacks, convince the people of Palestine to stop supporting movements such as Islamic Jihad, which feed off precisely the sort of rage and humiliation bred in the minds of Palestine’s seething youth by Israel’s actions today.

It goes without saying that those who perpetrated the suicide bombing attack in Khdeira yesterday must be condemned and brought to justice. But there must be no impunity for Israel as it continues its rampage of vengeance through the territories. For its own sake, and for the sake of peace, it must stop to consider the consequences of its actions, or else the game of chicken and egg - the predictable pattern of violent attacks and violent reprisals - will continue indefinitely, taking hundreds of innocent lives along with it.