Yes, please do read up and see what had happened before Israel struck.

Egypt had moved their troops close to the Israeli border and threw the UN peacekeepers out of Sinai and Gaza. The PLO had been raiding Israel from their positions in the West Bank so the Israelis struck back. The Syrians had been bombarding Israel from the Golan Heights so Israel struck back at them.

What would anyone else do if it was clear they were being attacked from two sides and were expecting to face attacks from a third side and probably a concerted attack from the three sides? They'd done nothing except live in their land so it was clear they had to do something against the continued surprise attacks from two sides and had they not returned the favour would have suffered an attack from a third (side).

What happened six years later? Not having learned from the previous war and the continued years of conflict in concert with Jordan and the PLO, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack at Yom Kippur.

So it's gone on ever since. Things go "quiet", nothing happens then out of the Blue one of the protagonists attacks Israel then bleats when the Israelis strike back.

As to the destruction of Israel, Ahmadinejad (of Syria) said "......if the smallest and briefest chance is given to regional nations they will destroy it." (IT being Israel).

Here's an interesting comment:-

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/07/28/hamas-seeks-destruction-israel...