2014-07-29 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict

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An escalation of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict began in 2014 following a series of events.

Those events included the collapse of American-sponsored peace talks, attempts by rival Palestinian factions to form a coalition government, the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers, the subsequent kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian teenager, and increased rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas militants.

On 8 July 2014, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip.

Following the kidnapping and murders of three Israeli teenagers in mid-June 2014, the IDF initiated Operation Brother’s Keeper in search of them.

During the operation, in the following 11 days Israel’s military killed five to ten Palestinians in clashes, and arrested between 350 and 600 Palestinians, including nearly all of Hamas’ West Bank leaders.

On the night of 6 July, an Israeli strike killed seven Hamas militants.

In response, Hamas’ militants increased rocket attacks on Israel.

By 7 July, Hamas militants had fired 100 rockets from Gaza at Israeli territory and the Israeli Air Force had bombed several sites in Gaza.

Early on 8 July Israeli Air Force bombed 50 targets in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s military thwarted a militant infiltration from the sea.

That same day, Hamas declared that “all Israelis” had become “legitimate targets” and insisted Israel to end all attacks on Gaza, release those re-arrested during the crackdown in the West Bank, lift the blockade on Gaza and return to the cease-fire conditions of 2012 as conditions for a ceasefire.

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.

The next day, 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.

On 16 July, Hamas and Islamic Jihad offered Israel a 10-year truce, with ten conditions.

The conflict is the deadliest military operation to have taken place in Gaza since the Gaza War of 2008–09.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 1,088 Palestinians were killed and 6,470 were injured.

Among the dead were 251 children, 93 women, and 50 elderly.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that, as of 28 July, 795 of those killed were civilians, of whom 347 were women or children.

OCHA’s spokesman said “There is literally no safe place for civilians” in Gaza.

52 IDF soldiers have been killed as of 28 July, as well as two Israeli civilians and a Thai worker.

The Israel Defense Forces has accused Hamas of using civilians as “human shields”; an allegation based on a number of rockets that were found in two UN schools, but which has been denied by Hamas.

According to OCHA, as of 26 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, over 200,000 Palestinians have been displaced and 165,548 are taking shelter in 92 UNRWA schools.

1.2 million people have no access or very limited access to water or sanitation, 120 schools and 18 health facilities have been damaged, 3,333 housing units have been destroyed or severely damaged rendering them uninhabitable; 3,380 housing units have been damaged but are still inhabitable.

80% of Gazans receive 4 hours of electricity per day.