Today Israel launched a missile strike on a car carrying Hamas militants through heavy traffic in the Gaza Strip. The two militants in the car survived the attack, while an elderly bystander was killed and at least 20 were injured, including children.

As long as the Palestinian Authority is unwilling to confront militants on its lands, Israel’s right to defend itself against militants is indisputable. However, this strike was not a surgical military operation designed to reign in dangerous men. It was a payback strike, with limited gains and heavy civilian risk. It is the sort of thing that neither furthers peace nor fosters Israel’s security, for it serves only to inflame hatred among Palestinians.

If Israel is to retain any moral legitimacy in hunting militants, it needs to exercise restraint in situations where civilians are at risk. By needlessly putting civilians in the crossfire, Israel is shooting itself in the foot and risking the Middle East peace process.