Gaza-Israel conflict: Why are civilians

on the front lines?

Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip are involved in some of the
most intense violence for months. Militants are firing volleys of rockets into
Israel and Gaza is being hit by waves of air strikes. Here is a look at what's
going on.
Why are Israel and militants in Gaza always fighting?
The Gaza Strip, sandwiched between Israel and Egypt, has been a recurring
flashpoint in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Israel captured the coastal territory during the 1967 Middle East war. In 2005, it
pulled its troops and settlers out. Israel considered that the end of the
occupation, but it still exercises control over most of Gaza's borders, waters and
airspace. Egypt controls Gaza's southern border.
Palestinian militants in Gaza have blamed Israel for the escalation and vowed to defend themselves
Long-standing restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from the
Strip have caused severe socio-economic hardship for the 1.7 million
Palestinians living there. Israel says the restrictions are to prevent attacks by
militants, including the Islamist movement Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's
destruction and is dominant in Gaza.
Hamas cites Israel's measures and the continued occupation of the West Bank
and East Jerusalem as reasons for its attacks on the Jewish state before and
after 2005.
Israel has hinted it could launch a ground offensive to decisively pare back the militants' capability to attack
Israel says its air strikes and incursions into Gaza have been necessary to
secure its borders and protect some 3.5 million people living within range of the
rockets.
Two major Israeli offensives in December 2008-January 2009 and November
2012 dealt serious blows to the capabilities of the militants, but they gradually
recovered and hostilities resumed.

What caused the latest escalation?
The White House expressed its support for Israel's right to defend itself from rocket attacks
Hamas, which governed Gaza from 2007 until a unity government with
Palestinians in the West Bank was formed in June, says it has tried to maintain
calm since the last Israeli offensive.
Its military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, did not officially participate in
the rocket attacks that took place between November 2012 and June 2014.
However, it also failed to stop launches altogether, drawing Israeli air strikes in
retaliation.
Rocket fire and air strikes increased after the abduction and killing of three Israeli
teenagers in June, which Israel blamed on Hamas and led to a crackdown on the
group in the West Bank. Tensions rose after the suspected revenge killing of a
Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem on 2 July.
Rocket fire and air strikes increased after the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in June
On 7 July, Hamas claimed responsibility for firing rockets for the first time for 20
months after a series of air strikes that it said killed several Qassam Brigades
members. The next day, Israel launched "Operation Protective Edge", which it
said aimed to stop rocket attacks and destroy Hamas' capabilities. Since then,
there have been hundreds of air strikes and hundreds of rockets have been fired.
What do both sides want?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 9 July that the operation
would widen and continue until rocket fire stopped and quiet returned to Israeli
cities. "Hamas should no longer have the means to produce rockets," Home
Front Defence Minister Gilad Erdan said.

Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal stressed on 9 July that it did not want an
escalation. "We did not ask for this war," he said. "We will do what we have to do
to defend ourselves and our people."
Some analysts say Hamas may believe it could gain from a prolonged conflict.
They say Hamas could be taking on Israel in an effort to reassert itself as a
resistance movement at a time when it has been badly affected by the
destruction of smuggling tunnels by the Egyptian authorities.
How come civilians are bearing the brunt?
Eight people were killed in a strike on a Khan Younis home that Israel said was a Hamas operations centre
Palestinian officials say many of the casualties have been the result of air strikes
in residential areas. President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of committing
"genocide", while human rights groups have warned Israel air strikes in densely
populated areas or direct attacks on civilian homes could violate international
law.
Israel has said the homes it has bombed belonged to senior militants and served
as command centres where rocket attacks were co-ordinated. It says militants
deliberately fire rockets from civilian areas and store rockets in places like
homes, school and hospitals.
Israel's missile defence system has intercepted rockets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Israel also points out that the hundreds of unguided rockets that have been fired
at its territory directly threaten its civilians.
Long-range rockets have been launched towards Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well
as further north. Human rights groups have said the firing of indiscriminate
rockets that endangers civilians constitutes a war crime.
Is there any mediation?
Egypt has opened its Rafah border crossing for Palestinian casualties, but not for those wanting to flee
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned on 10 July that the situation in Gaza
was "on a knife-edge" and urged both sides to end hostilities. The US called for a
de-escalation but also expressed its support for Israel's right to defend itself from
rocket attacks.
Egypt, which has helped broker ceasefires in the past, has downplayed any
hopes of mediation. It has opened its Rafah border crossing for Palestinian
casualties, but not for those wanting to flee. Officials blame security concerns in
the Sinai peninsula, but correspondents say they are also keen to increase the
pressure on Hamas, which it sees as a threat.
The two sides have fought wars before. How did they end?
Israel is warning of a prolonged assault on Palestinian militants and their infrastructure in Gaza
Israel launched a ground offensive in December 2008 dubbed "Operation Cast
Lead" in response to rocket fire. By the time Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire
22 days later, saying its goals were "more than fully achieved", an estimated
1,300 Palestinians had been killed, many of them civilians. Thirteen Israelis also
died, including four soldiers in a "friendly fire" incident. Gaza's civilian
infrastructure was damaged extensively.
In November 2012, Israel launched "Operation Pillar of Defence" to protect
civilians from rocket fire, as well as cripple Hamas's capability to launch attacks.
Eight days after the operation began, Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement that
included a promise from both sides to stop attacks. At least 167 Palestinians, and
six Israelis, were killed.