The decision to nuke japan was based on factors entirely different than any possible factor to nuke gaza.
Pretty sure we're still handing out the purple hearts that were made in case a ground invasion was necessary.
Like, those stories about Japanese soldiers hiding for decades and never believing Japan surrendered? That was the common sentiment.
And loads more civilians were killed in traditional bombings.
It was the fact that one atomic bomb could do so much damage, and the Japanese had no idea how many we had. You could rebuild buildings destroyed conventionally. But atomic bombs could literally make land uninhabitable for generations.
That's what it took to make Japan surrender.
It was brutal and I hope it never happens again, but it was the best hand we could have played.