Car swarm!

Palestinians gather around a car where four Palestinian militants were killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Wednesday March 12, 2008. Israeli troops opened fire on a car Wednesday, killing four Palestinian militants, Palestinian medical officials said, throwing doubt on prospects for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

It's curious.

Israel kills four known terrorists in the West Bank that belong to Islamic Jihad, and it is assumed that Hamas therefore will be justified in escalating the "cycle of violence" from Gaza. In other words, Hamas can link the events of the West Bank with what it does in Gaza.

But Israel is expected to continue to negotiate for "peace" with Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank and completely ignore the events happening in Gaza.

Israel is not allowed to make a linkage between the two territories, but Hamas is encouraged to, by captions like this.