Gaza Crisis 2014

The Gaza–Israel conflict, taking place in the region of the Gaza strip and southern Israel, is a part of the long-term Israel-Palestine conflict

Israel–Gaza barrier

The Gaza strip has been separated from Israel by the Israel–Gaza barrier since 1996, which has helped reduce infiltration into Israel.

Second Intifada

Many Palestinians consider the Intifada to be a struggle of national liberalization against Israeli occupation imposed on them following the 1967 WAR, whereas many Israelis consider it to be a terrorist campaign.

• Palestinians have been shooting Qassam rockets at Israeli settlements located near the Gaza borders, and have staged cross-border raids aimed at killing or capturing Israeli soldiers.

Ascendancy of Hamas

• As a response to the Hamas takeover, Israel sharply restricted the flow of people and goods into and out of Gaza. About 70% of Gaza's workforce have become unemployed or without pay, and about 80% of its residents live in poverty.

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict

An escalation of the Gaza-Israel conflict began on 8 July 2014, when the Israel defense forces (IDF) launched Operation Protective Edge against militants in the Gaza Strip following an increase in rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas' militants.

Following the kidnaping and killing three Israeli teenager in mid-June 2014, the IDF initiated Operation Brother's Keeper in search of the three teenagers. As part of the operation, in the following 11 days Israel's military killed five to ten Palestrina's and arrested between 350 and 600 Palestinians, including nearly all of Hamas' West Bank leaders.

• On 13 July the Israeli military reported that more than 1,300 Israeli attacks had taken place, while more than 800 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.

• On 14 July, Egypt announced a cease-fire initiative. The Israeli government declared acceptance for the proposal, and temporarily stopped hostilities in the morning of 15 July.

• However, all Palestinian factions announced they had not been consulted on the reported Egyptian initiative and were informed of the supposed proposal via the media, including Palestinian President Abbas.

• Hamas rejected it in "its current form", as did other Palestinian factions.

• The Israeli name for the military action is Operation Protective Edge, and is the deadliest military operation to have taken place in Gaza.

• According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 805 Palestinians were killed and 5,250 were injured. Among the dead were 182 children, 92 women, and 45 elderly.

• OCHA's spokesman said "There is literally no safe place for civilians" in Gaza. 34 IDF soldiers have been killed as well as 2 Israeli civilians and a Thai worker.

• The Israel Defense Forces has accused Hamas of using civilians as “human shields"; an allegation denied by Hamas

• According to OCHA, 1.2 million people have no access or very limited access to water or sanitation, 90 schools and 18 health facilities have been damaged, 2,655 housing units have been destroyed or severely damaged rendering them uninhabitable, 3,175 housing units have been damaged but are still inhabitable and 80% of people only receive 4 hours of electricity per day

Human rights groups have argued that both Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli targeted destruction of homes of Hamas and other militia members violate international humanitarian law and might constitute war crimes.