The State of Israel is self-constrained by a combination of two things: international laws of war and a pathological need to seek approval from others.
"Finally, we have to make it very clear to our neighbors that any hostile action taken across our border will result in that border being moved 100 meters outward."
This is also what I had thought. I argued that the IDF should have cut the Gaza strip in half and cleared the north of Arabs. Then they should have said: "The north is now ours. Every day we don't get the hostages, you loose more land."
"Finally, we have to make it very clear to our neighbors that any hostile action taken across our border will result in that border being moved 100 meters outward."
This is also what I had thought. I argued that the IDF should have cut the Gaza strip in half and cleared the north of Arabs. Then they should have said: "The north is now ours. Every day we don't get the hostages, you loose more land."