IMO, these two situations are very different. While the Japanese were taking part in a struggle for strength, the war in Israel-Palestine is for land, religion and independence. For the Palestinians, losing this war means losing both their homeland and Holy land. They can't give up without losing everything, so the price of the struggle is worth it. That being said, many Israelis believe the same thing: the Palestinians want to replace them, and take away THEIR historical homeland and Holy land.
When both sides have everything to lose - they will use all available tools to win. For the Palestinians, that means shooting rockets on civilian centers and trying to get over (or under) the fence to attack the neighboring towns and villages. For the Israelis, that means air bombing, snipers and late night raids on Palestinian cities.