De-escalation through escalation?

One year on, Israel is expanding its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has already killed some 42,000 people and wounded nearly 100,000 more. It has stepped up attacks in Lebanon and other neighboring countries, inflicting greater civilian casualties and sparking fears of a full-blown regional war with its old foe Iran. Why has this conflict escalated so quickly as it enters its second year? What might happen next? Why does the prospect of peace appear ever more elusive?