You thought that the attack on 7th of October wouldn’t lead to retaliation?

Most went as I did expect it. If fewer civilians would’ve been killed in the initial attack and not so many people be taken as hostage, then I don’t think most of the destruction we see now would’ve been the case, as limited effect with a focus on primary military targets might’ve kept the refusenik opposition in Israel alive.

However the Nova massacre and alike created a situation in which Muslim Arab Israelis (or Palestinian Israelis) identify with the state of Israel 70% more than with other attributes, the highest value in decades. It also led to plenty leftists, many who knew people killed, to prioritize “safety”.

The death of some of the more prominent kibbutzim that were left voices for a shared land solution, that tried to connect the people and workers in the areas also let to plenty unpolitical people to believe more into a narrative of genocidal Hamas and widespread male support in Gaza for them and for violence against Jews.

The Israeli Arab (own self labeling) I know who worked with queer refugees from “Arab countries”, including Gaza, tells that his family is quite angry. Hamas or someone with them targeted Arabs, too, and Arabs did try to save people and often did. Previously they were not very friendly with military in Israel and against plenty conservatives, now Muslim school friends of his are in the IDF.

I do think that Israel is now more unified internally than before. I did not think that Hamas and others had enough troops to hold territory and static defenses and tunnels hold their value primary when the opponent can’t use time and control of movement of population to chip the military infrastructure away. This will not be able to neutralize all Hamas members, as they can’t be differentiated in the population, but it will destroy building and the social conditions for regular life during the hot phases of conflict.

I did expect Egypt to open borders though and allow non military aged people to seek refugee.

Israel itself has a government that will keep using force as long as hostage are alive and bodies are kept, unless some harsh economic or political change happens. At least till the 8th of October of this year there will be support for continued military operations in Gaza. Likely in two-four month the ground operations in Gaza will be declared as “complete” (once every area was under direct Israeli control).

Those are just things that are the another perspective.

Your view ignores international pressure a bit, but in terms of internal logic of the conflict on the ground your outlook is true. No surrounding state is materially attacking Israel.