It's an emotional issue for you. I get that. There is a place for sentimentality and everyone should be sickened by the senseless loss of life. But I'm only concerned for a solution. Within that solution, I am concerned for the lowest amount of loss of life.
The solution, in my opinion, is to destroy Hamas. And once that is a reality, some presence will be necessary to insure no other group is allowed to come in and create the same situation again. This will make for conditions to exist where innocent lives will never again be an issue. And while it will mean there will be more civilian lives lost in the present, it will save countless times more lives in the future.
I don't believe this is a perfect solution, but merely the best of all the bad choices. A ceasefire only ensures that civilian losses will continue now and in the future. This is neither humane or moral. It's merely sentimental and isn't an actual solution.
Regarding how other nations defend their atrocities, I'll be glad to address those on the basis of each case and circumstances, if you like.