Are wars all the same? Was the American Civil War the same as WWII and that the same as the Iraq War? What kind of War is Israel engaged in here?

I'd call it more like a civil war. Both people occupy the same country. Forget all the 2nd State efforts, the facts on the ground is that Gaza remains part of Israel.

Can one side ultimately "lose" in a civil war? Did the South lose in the U.S.? Yes and no. For a country to move forward both must pay the price of the war or it will never end. How is Jihad different than Jewish gun-backed right to return? Both justify themselves through the interpretation of old religious tracts.

Hamas was never truly given Gaza to rule. (Not all Israel's fault there.) When one accepts that I believe neither side can claim they're more entitled to kill than the other.

In my view, the reason this continues on is that each time the fighting ends Israel doesn't truly pay its fair share (like a path to citizenship for Palestinians). Of course, they go on and on about how they do. And of course, Iran pays Palestinians to fight instead.