>>One of the problems I have with these kinds of debates is that people will criticize what one country/group is doing, without offering an alternative. What do you propose the Israelis should do?
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>Simple. Have a proportional response, instead of taking out an entire country.

The reaction to Israel's military response is entirely dependent on your point of view. From Israel's point of view it makes perfect sense because they are attacking an enemy, wherever they may be hiding, which has declared as it's mission the destruction of Israel and is openly known to be backed by the Iranians which also have openly called for the destruction if Israel.

The destruction of Hezbollah at the cost of a few of your own soldiers and civilians on both sides is probably an acceptable outcome. Besides the destruction of Hezbollah, Israel sends out a message that attacks on it will incur a huge and severe response. So much so that it makes attacks against her extremely expensive as the Taliban similarly found out when they protected the attackers involved in 9/11. It might make the attackers think twice in future.

From the point of view of the civilians caught in the cross fire I am sure no explanation is sufficient and all acts from the "other side" are unacceptable. In a no-win situation Israel might be thinking that they may as well go the whole nine yards.