18 killed in Palestine

See this Reuters article on how Israel has killed 17 more Palestinians today. :

BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza (Reuters) - Israeli forces on an offensive in Gaza killed 17 Palestinians in air strikes and clashes with militants on Thursday in the worst violence since the Jewish state quit the strip a year ago.

See how they report why this is happening.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered tanks deeper into Gaza overnight after militants from the ruling Hamas movement fired rockets into a major Israeli city for the first time.

The incursion expands an offensive that began last week with the main goal of bringing home captured soldier Gilad Shalit and puts pressure on the Hamas government, already on the brink of collapse because of a Western aid embargo.

See that. Israel is trying to free its soldier. After all that's what Israel claims. But there's a line I missed. See this:

Gunmen also killed an Israeli soldier in northern Gaza, the army said.

So Israel has killed 17 Palestinians today for one soldier, Israel says. Cheap lives. And Israel has got an Israeli soldier killed to save an Israeli soldier. Priceless!