Explained: What Are War Crimes And Are Israel And Hamas Committing Them?

New Delhi: 

Fighting between Israel and the Hamas – in which nearly 3,000 people have died and around 2.3 million in Gaza face a humanitarian disaster – entered a sixth day Thursday with no end in sight.

On Saturday Hamas gunmen broke through a heavily fortified border, under cover of a barrage of rockets that overwhelmed Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system, and slaughtered more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals. They also took around 150 people, including children, hostage.

Israel retaliated with five days (and counting) of aerial strikes targeting entire Gaza neighbourhoods, as well as residential buildings, mosques and schools, claiming information that they were being used by Hamas operatives. Gaza said this afternoon over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed so far.