Operation Protective Edge (see Name) is an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) offensive in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, launched on 8 July 2014. The operation follows a recent escalation between Israel and Hamas. During the search for the three missing Israeli teenagers in June 2014, Israeli forces killed ten Palestinians in clashes and rounded up more than 500 members of Hamas as part of Operation Brother's Keeper. In response, Hamas increased rocket attacks. By 7 July, 100 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israeli territory, towards Beersheba, Ashdod, Ofakim, Ashkelon, and Netivot, and Israel struck several sites in Gaza. Overnight, Israel hit 50 targets in the Gaza Strip, and by 8 July, Palestinian militants in Gaza had fired over 140 rockets within 24 hours into Israel, as far north as Hadera, beyond Tel Aviv. Israel's counter-rocket defense system, the Iron Dome, intercepted about 30 of the rockets. Israel also thwarted an infiltration from the sea. Israel commenced the major military response on 8 July. That same day, Hamas declared that "all Israelis" had become "legitimate targets". On 14 July, Egypt proposed a cease-fire. The Israeli government accepted the proposal and temporarily stopped hostilities in the morning of 15 July, but Hamas, which said it was never consulted on the ceasefire, rejected it in "its current form". Operation Protective Edge is the deadliest military operation to have taken place in Gaza since the Gaza War in 2008--2009. At least 222 Palestinians have been killed. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated using preliminary information that as of 16 July nearly 76% of those killed were civilians, of whom 45% were women or children. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 1,670 Palestinians have been injured. The Israel Defense Forces estimated that about 90 of the dead were Hamas militants, and says Hamas was using the Gazan population as 'human shields'; an allegation denied by Hamas. The Israeli Defense Forces have reported that as of 13 July, more than 1,300 Israeli attacks have occurred, while more than 800 missiles were fired from Gaza into Israel. Human rights groups have argued that Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli targeted destruction of the homes of Hamas and other militia members violate international humanitarian law and might constitute war crimes Literal translation of the operation's name (Hebrew: מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן, Mivtza' Tzuk Eitan), is "Operation Mighty Cliff", or "Operation Solid Rock", or "Firm Cliff" or "Resolute Cliff" in the form of the IDF's official Arabic translation. According to the Turkish Anadolu Agency, an Israeli military spokesman for Arab Media, Avichay Adraee, explained that the change of the operation's name in English was done to more heavily convey the idea that the operation was defensive in nature. Background Further information: Operation Brother's Keeper, Mohammed Abu Khdeir and List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2014 Factory bursts in flames after missile attack in Sderot, Israel, 28 June 2014 On 23 April 2014, Hamas agreed to a reconciliation deal with the other main Palestinian faction, Fatah following seven years of division. The Palestinian unity government was sworn in by 2 June 2014 and Israel announced it would not negotiate any peace deal with the new government and would push punitive measures. Declaring this unity will "strengthen terrorism" a day before the agreement, Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The international community must not embrace it. The agreement was likely to have a significant impact on the current round of peace talks between Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority and Israel, and shortly after the announcement of the agreement, Israel launched an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip that injured four people, according to medical officials. Netanyahu had warned before the deal it would be incompatible with Israeli-Palestinian peace and that Abbas has to choose between peace with Hamas and peace with Israel. When a reconciliation deal was signed opening the way to the appointment of the new government, Netanyahu chaired a security cabinet in which they voted to authorise Netanyahu to impose unspecified sanctions against the Palestinian Authority. Brigadier General Moti Almoz, the chief spokesman of the Israeli military, said: "We have been instructed by the political echelon to hit Hamas hard.

• published: 18 Jul 2014
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