That’s asymmetric warfare for you, if hamas operated like Israel and had bases out in the open they’d be annihilated in a week. Israel would probably do the same if hamas had overwhelming air superiority.

Most Palestinians don’t support Hamas but most do support armed resistance, mostly because every other form of resistance has been taken away from them. That’s why they were voted in in 2006, and if Israel does succeed then whoever takes over after will probably just as militant, unless Israel gives them some other way to effectively protest mosque raids and west bank settlements.