Four IDF soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack near Gaza City on September 8, according to the Israeli military. The fallen troops were members of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion. Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Gaza City residents to evacuate, as the IDF intensifies airstrikes ahead of a potential ground offensive.

Hamas attack: Four Israeli soldiers killed near Gaza city, says IDF

A concerning UN report claims to have found evidence of violence against children reaching "extreme levels" in armed conflicts — particularly in Gaza and Sudan — in 2023.

Surged violence against children in Sudan and Gaza amid war like situations

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has reignited the controversy around the ‘banned’ dove logo, as the officials forced him to remove one from his bat during day three of the ongoing Wellington Test against New Zealand. The incident happened during the 19th over, in Australia's second innings, when Khawaja cracked his bat and asked for a replacement.

Just when Matthew Renshaw, the substitute, ran in with a few options, Khawaja tried them all before locking in on the one. The officials immediately jumped onto the scene, asking Khawaja to remove the controversial dove logo from his bat, which he also tried using on his apparel (shoes here) during the Pakistan series at home late last year.

Against Pakistan at home in 2023, Khawaja donned a human rights sticker of a dove holding an olive branch from it to raise awareness for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Earlier, Khawaja wore a black armband during the series opener against Pakistan in Perth, for which the International Cricket Council (ICC) charged him for breaching the equipment regulations. Khawaja later clarified that it was due to a “personal bereavement”.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nz-vs-aus-phillips-ravindra-launch-kiwis-fightback-on-day-3-as-hosts-stay-in-hunt-to-clinch-wellington-test-695804">NZ vs AUS: Phillips, Ravindra launch Kiwis fightback on Day 3 as hosts stay in hunt to clinch Wellington Test</a>

For the second Test at the MCG, the apex body rejected Khawaja’s plea of donning the dove logo on his bat.

The left-handed batter later accused the ICC of showing double standards through a social media post.

He wrote, “Merry Christmas everybody. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. CYA at Boxing Day!” Khawaja wrote while using the hashtags “inconsistent” and “double standards”.

However, the veteran batter received support from Aussie captain Pat Cummins and Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley.

“The symbol of the dove is a universally recognised symbol of peace," Hockley said&nbsp;in December.&nbsp;

“That being said, the ICC have got their rules and think they explained their rationale really clearly and we respect that. What we’ve been really clear about is that we support Uzzie and all our players really to share what they believe over their own channels,” he added.

<h2>New Zealand stay afloat in the chase</h2>

Meanwhile, New Zealand needs another 258 runs to win the first Test in Wellington after being reduced to 111 for three in the chase of 369. While the top three is back in the hut, with Nathan Lyon picking three wickets, New Zealand batsmen Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell are batting on 56 and 12, respectively.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has reignited the controversy around the ‘banned’ dove logo, as the officials forced him to remove one from his bat during day three of the ongoing Wellington Test against New Zealand.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja has reignited the controversy around the ‘banned’ dove logo, as the officials forced him to remove one from his bat during day three of the ongoing Wellington Test against New Zealand. The incident happened during the 19th over, in Australia's second innings, when Khawaja cracked his bat and asked for a replacement. Just when Matthew Renshaw, the substitute, ran in with a few options, Khawaja tried them all before locking in on the one. The officials immediately jumped onto the scene, asking Khawaja to remove the controversial dove logo from his bat, which he also tried using on his apparel (shoes here) during the Pakistan series at home late last year. Against Pakistan at home in 2023, Khawaja donned a human rights sticker of a dove holding an olive branch from it to raise awareness for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Earlier, Khawaja wore a black armband during the series opener against Pakistan in Perth, for which the International Cricket Council (ICC) charged him for breaching the equipment regulations. Khawaja later clarified that it was due to a “personal bereavement”. ALSO READ: NZ vs AUS: Phillips, Ravindra launch Kiwis fightback on Day 3 as hosts stay in hunt to clinch Wellington Test For the second Test at the MCG, the apex body rejected Khawaja’s plea of donning the dove logo on his bat. The left-handed batter later accused the ICC of showing double standards through a social media post. He wrote, “Merry Christmas everybody. Sometimes you just gotta laugh. CYA at Boxing Day!” Khawaja wrote while using the hashtags “inconsistent” and “double standards”. However, the veteran batter received support from Aussie captain Pat Cummins and Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley. “The symbol of the dove is a universally recognised symbol of peace," Hockley said in December. “That being said, the ICC have got their rules and think they explained their rationale really clearly and we respect that. What we’ve been really clear about is that we support Uzzie and all our players really to share what they believe over their own channels,” he added. New Zealand stay afloat in the chase Meanwhile, New Zealand needs another 258 runs to win the first Test in Wellington after being reduced to 111 for three in the chase of 369. While the top three is back in the hut, with Nathan Lyon picking three wickets, New Zealand batsmen Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell are batting on 56 and 12, respectively.

Usman Khawaja forced to remove ‘banned’ dove logo from bat during day 3 of Wellington Test

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended Israel's attack on Gaza tower housing Al-Jazeera and The Associated Press offices. He called the attack "perfectly legitimate attack'. His comments are sure to attract criticism for Israel which is already facing global heat.

"An intelligence office for the Palestinian terrorist organization (was) housed in that building that plots and organizes the terror attacks against Israeli civilians," Netanyahu told CBS News.

"So it is a perfectly legitimate target. I can tell you that we took every precaution to make sure that there were no civilian injuries, in fact, no deaths."

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On Saturday (May 15), an Israeli air attack flattened the building in Gaza that housed the media offices.

The attack sent alarm bells ringing across world that is already voicing concern about the escalating Israel-Palestine violence. The attack on media houses elicited a response even from the US, a strong ally of Israel. The US on Saturday asked Israel to protect the journalists.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nearly-3000-rockets-fired-from-gaza-towards-israel-army-claims-385423">Nearly 3,000 rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel, army claims</a>

On Sunday, several strong statements came from the Israeli camp. Israel army chief said that Hamas had 'misjudged' Israel's strength.

"Hamas misjudged the strength of our response," said Aviv Kochavi, the army's chief of general staff, saying Gaza had since been enduring an aerial bombardment of unprecedented "intensity".

'Premeditated violence', says Israel at UN

Israel alleged that violence by&nbsp;Hamas was 'premeditated'.&nbsp;

"It was completely premeditated by Hamas in order to gain political power," said Israel's ambassador to the world body, Gilad Erdan. He was speaking during a session called by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the crisis.

Hamas said its rocket fire into Israel was in response to Israeli forces' entry into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, amid high tensions over moves to evict Palestinian families in the city.

"Do you really believe that this property dispute is what caused Hamas to launch these large-scale attacks on the people of Israel?" Erdan said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended Israel's attack on Gaza tower housing Al-Jazeera and The Associated Press offices. He called the attack "perfectly legitimate attack'.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended Israel's attack on Gaza tower housing Al-Jazeera and The Associated Press offices. He called the attack "perfectly legitimate attack'. His comments are sure to attract criticism for Israel which is already facing global heat. "An intelligence office for the Palestinian terrorist organization (was) housed in that building that plots and organizes the terror attacks against Israeli civilians," Netanyahu told CBS News. "So it is a perfectly legitimate target. I can tell you that we took every precaution to make sure that there were no civilian injuries, in fact, no deaths." × On Saturday (May 15), an Israeli air attack flattened the building in Gaza that housed the media offices. The attack sent alarm bells ringing across world that is already voicing concern about the escalating Israel-Palestine violence. The attack on media houses elicited a response even from the US, a strong ally of Israel. The US on Saturday asked Israel to protect the journalists. Also Read | Nearly 3,000 rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel, army claims On Sunday, several strong statements came from the Israeli camp. Israel army chief said that Hamas had 'misjudged' Israel's strength. "Hamas misjudged the strength of our response," said Aviv Kochavi, the army's chief of general staff, saying Gaza had since been enduring an aerial bombardment of unprecedented "intensity". 'Premeditated violence', says Israel at UN Israel alleged that violence by Hamas was 'premeditated'. "It was completely premeditated by Hamas in order to gain political power," said Israel's ambassador to the world body, Gilad Erdan. He was speaking during a session called by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the crisis. Hamas said its rocket fire into Israel was in response to Israeli forces' entry into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, amid high tensions over moves to evict Palestinian families in the city. "Do you really believe that this property dispute is what caused Hamas to launch these large-scale attacks on the people of Israel?" Erdan said. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel PM Netanyahu defends media house attack, says building was 'legitimate target'

Months of calmness was broken in Israel as&nbsp;Palestinian militants fired two rockets in the Gaza Strip, as claimed by Israeli military on Friday.

In response, Israeli aircraft attacked two military facilities for Hamas, the Islamic group ruling Gaza.

The attack from the Palestinian side came a day after&nbsp;Hamas warned of violence over Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-prime-minister-netanyahu-announces-cooperation-with-uae-to-combat-coronavirus-308634">Also read:&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announces 'cooperation' with UAE to combat coronavirus</a>

Although the Israeli military has declared the attack was from Hamas, no Palestinian militant group has yet claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks.

The Hamas group had earlier this week warned of violent retaliation if Israel continued to proceed ahead with the much-controversial&nbsp;annexation plans. The group believes such a move amounts to "a declaration of war".

The Israeli military has now said that the rocket attacks "will impede" Hamas' future abilities.

Before this attack, the&nbsp;Gaza-Israel frontier&nbsp;has remained calmed for this year, which the experts believe might have been due to the threat of the novel coronavirus.

(With inputs from PTI)

Months of calmness was broken in Israel as Palestinian militants fired two rockets in the Gaza Strip, as claimed by Israeli military on Friday. In response, Israeli aircraft attacked two military facilities for Hamas, the Islamic group ruling Gaza.

Months of calmness was broken in Israel as Palestinian militants fired two rockets in the Gaza Strip, as claimed by Israeli military on Friday. In response, Israeli aircraft attacked two military facilities for Hamas, the Islamic group ruling Gaza. The attack from the Palestinian side came a day after Hamas warned of violence over Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Also read: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announces 'cooperation' with UAE to combat coronavirus Although the Israeli military has declared the attack was from Hamas, no Palestinian militant group has yet claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks. The Hamas group had earlier this week warned of violent retaliation if Israel continued to proceed ahead with the much-controversial annexation plans. The group believes such a move amounts to "a declaration of war". The Israeli military has now said that the rocket attacks "will impede" Hamas' future abilities. Before this attack, the Gaza-Israel frontier has remained calmed for this year, which the experts believe might have been due to the threat of the novel coronavirus. (With inputs from PTI)

Southern Israel hit by two rockets from Gaza: Israel military

Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on suspected Islamic Jihad positions in Syria, the Israeli military said on Monday, after the militant group and Israel exchanged rockets and airstrikes around Gaza.

Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on suspected Islamic Jihad positions in Syria, the Israeli military said on Monday, after the militant group and Israel exchanged rockets and airstrikes around Gaza. An Israeli military statement said its forces had "struck Islamic Jihad terror targets south of Damascus" in addition to "dozens" of Islamic Jihad targets throughout the Gaza Strip. The airstrike in the Adeliyah region outside Damascus targeted what the Israeli military called "a hub of Islamic Jihad's activity in Syria," including the research and development of weapons. [ Iron Dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Also Read: Israeli warplanes hit Hamas in Gaza after border fire The Israeli announcement came shortly after Syrian state media said its air defences had intercepted "hostile targets" over the Syrian capital, Damascus. The strike escalated the latest round of hostilities, which began around dawn on Sunday, when, Israel said, its troops killed an Islamic Jihad member who was trying to plant explosives near Israel's border fence with the Gaza Strip. Watch: Benjamin Netanyahu rushed offstage as rocket fired from Gaza into Israel Islamic Jihad fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza into Israel, setting off air-raid sirens in communities such as Ashkelon. Israel hit back with a series of airstrikes in Gaza. The rockets sent residents of southern Israel running for shelters. Some of the rocket fire was intercepted by Israeli aerial missile defences, and there were no reports of any Israelis injured. The Israeli military said that among the "dozens" of targets struck in Gaza were underground infrastructure and compounds in Rafah that had been used to store raw material used for manufacturing rockets. Also Read: Israel strikes Hamas targets after new Gaza rocket fire [ Aftermath of Israeli airstrikes (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Shortly before midnight on Sunday, the Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source saying that Israeli planes had entered Syrian airspace and targeted areas around Damascus with a wave of guided missiles. Syrian state-run al-Ikhbariya TV aired footage of what it said were explosions set off in the Damascus night sky by the air defence system shooting down missiles. The Syrian military source said most missiles were destroyed before reaching their targets and that the aftermath of the strike was being examined. Israel says it has carried out hundreds of strikes against targets in Syria in recent years. In November, Islamic Jihad said Israel had targeted the house of one of its officials in Damascus, killing one of his sons.

Israeli strike in Damascus killed 2 Islamic Jihad members: Group

How Reporters are putting their life at risk at Gaza Border

There were celebrations in Gaza. People distributed Sweets and celebrated the ceasefire after two 
days of intense clashes between Palestinian factions and Israel on Monday.

On the contrary, the mood in Israel was sombre and there were protests in southern Israeli territories and&nbsp;Tel Aviv with the protesters chanting “Bibi go home”.

The Egyptian brokered ceasefire after the latest bout of violence that brought the two sides on the brink of full&nbsp;scale war since 2014 has stirred a political crisis in Israel.

Be it the general public or coalition partners, all are angry at Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for&nbsp;signing a ceasefire deal with Hamas, the terms of which are still unclear.

The Israeli public and politician demanded a price from Gaza’s Hamas rulers for firing over 400 rockets at 
southern Israel, despite Tel Aviv sparking the latest round of violence. 
&nbsp; 
So how it all started that is threatening the survival of Bibi Netanyahu’s government right-wing government. 
&nbsp; 
The botched Israeli commando operation on Sunday night in Gaza left seven Palestinians including a senior&nbsp;Hamas battalion commander Nour Baraka dead.&nbsp;

A senior Israeli officer was also killed during the operation when Palestinian security forces gave Israelis a chase. 
 
The covert Israeli operation was in complete violation of the previous ceasefire between the two sides.

The Israeli operation is still shrouded in mystery as to what was the purpose of the covert raid. However, Israeli military analysts say such operations in Gaza are routine as part of intelligence gathering. But the tricky part of the raid was that this was exposed this time.

Also, there is suspicion whether Israel has resumed its policy of targeted assassination. Surprisingly, the Israeli commando operation comes days after Netanyahu talked about normalising things in the besieged Palestinian enclave. He even allowed $15 million Qarati cash into Gaza to pay salaries of the employees who had not been paid for years. 
&nbsp; 
Also, the deadly raid in the absence of prime minister Netanyahu, when he was in Paris to attend World War I centenary, raises many questions.

Was Netanyahu being diabolic in his deeds and words on Gaza? If not then who ordered the operation?

Experts argue there are some elements in the Israeli military establishment who doesn’t want normality in Gaza. And this operation could be the part of that larger game. 
&nbsp; 
So has Netanyahu suddenly become a peace dove? Analysts also reject this contention. They say Bibi is playing a divide and rule game with Hamas and Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas, who has recently become more combative against Israel and U.S over President’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital.

The ceasefire proposal agreed to by Netanyahu has rattled right-wing leader Avigdor Lieberman, who resigned as defence minister. He has termed the ceasefire as “complete capitulation to terror”. Hamas celebrated his resignation as a political victory. 
&nbsp; 
Leiberman’s resignation and withdrawal of his party from Netanyahu coalition has left Bibi with just one seat majority in the 190 member Knesset.

However, Netanyahu is seemingly unfazed by the political trouble brewing around him. But he has other problems at hand.

His another coalition partner Habayit Hayahud party is demanding that its leader Naftali Bennett be made defence minister. Bennett is considered more hawkish than Leiberman in security matters concerning Gaza.&nbsp;

Though Bennett supported the Netanyahu sponsored ceasefire, he sided with the Leiberman in the security cabinet for harsher actions in Gaza. 
&nbsp; 
The trouble does not end here for Netanyahu. His other coalition partners finance minister Moshe Kahlon and interior minister Aryeh Deri have called on the prime minister to call early election in the best interest of the country. 
&nbsp; 
But despite all the troubles, Israeli media reports say Netanyahu enjoys favourable ratings in the latest opinion polls and an early election would propel him to another term. However, only election will decide whether Netanyahu’s Gaza Gamble will pay off or prove to be his nemesis. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There were celebrations in Gaza. People distributed Sweets and celebrated the ceasefire after two days of intense clashes between Palestinian factions and Israel on Monday.

There were celebrations in Gaza. People distributed Sweets and celebrated the ceasefire after two days of intense clashes between Palestinian factions and Israel on Monday. On the contrary, the mood in Israel was sombre and there were protests in southern Israeli territories and Tel Aviv with the protesters chanting “Bibi go home”. The Egyptian brokered ceasefire after the latest bout of violence that brought the two sides on the brink of full scale war since 2014 has stirred a political crisis in Israel. Be it the general public or coalition partners, all are angry at Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for signing a ceasefire deal with Hamas, the terms of which are still unclear. The Israeli public and politician demanded a price from Gaza’s Hamas rulers for firing over 400 rockets at southern Israel, despite Tel Aviv sparking the latest round of violence. So how it all started that is threatening the survival of Bibi Netanyahu’s government right-wing government. The botched Israeli commando operation on Sunday night in Gaza left seven Palestinians including a senior Hamas battalion commander Nour Baraka dead. A senior Israeli officer was also killed during the operation when Palestinian security forces gave Israelis a chase. The covert Israeli operation was in complete violation of the previous ceasefire between the two sides. The Israeli operation is still shrouded in mystery as to what was the purpose of the covert raid. However, Israeli military analysts say such operations in Gaza are routine as part of intelligence gathering. But the tricky part of the raid was that this was exposed this time. Also, there is suspicion whether Israel has resumed its policy of targeted assassination. Surprisingly, the Israeli commando operation comes days after Netanyahu talked about normalising things in the besieged Palestinian enclave. He even allowed $15 million Qarati cash into Gaza to pay salaries of the employees who had not been paid for years. Also, the deadly raid in the absence of prime minister Netanyahu, when he was in Paris to attend World War I centenary, raises many questions. Was Netanyahu being diabolic in his deeds and words on Gaza? If not then who ordered the operation? Experts argue there are some elements in the Israeli military establishment who doesn’t want normality in Gaza. And this operation could be the part of that larger game. So has Netanyahu suddenly become a peace dove? Analysts also reject this contention. They say Bibi is playing a divide and rule game with Hamas and Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas, who has recently become more combative against Israel and U.S over President’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital. The ceasefire proposal agreed to by Netanyahu has rattled right-wing leader Avigdor Lieberman, who resigned as defence minister. He has termed the ceasefire as “complete capitulation to terror”. Hamas celebrated his resignation as a political victory. Leiberman’s resignation and withdrawal of his party from Netanyahu coalition has left Bibi with just one seat majority in the 190 member Knesset. However, Netanyahu is seemingly unfazed by the political trouble brewing around him. But he has other problems at hand. His another coalition partner Habayit Hayahud party is demanding that its leader Naftali Bennett be made defence minister. Bennett is considered more hawkish than Leiberman in security matters concerning Gaza. Though Bennett supported the Netanyahu sponsored ceasefire, he sided with the Leiberman in the security cabinet for harsher actions in Gaza. The trouble does not end here for Netanyahu. His other coalition partners finance minister Moshe Kahlon and interior minister Aryeh Deri have called on the prime minister to call early election in the best interest of the country. But despite all the troubles, Israeli media reports say Netanyahu enjoys favourable ratings in the latest opinion polls and an early election would propel him to another term. However, only election will decide whether Netanyahu’s Gaza Gamble will pay off or prove to be his nemesis. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How calm in Gaza stirs storm in Israel

Israel and Palestinian militants in the blockaded Gaza Strip have been exchanging fire in the worst escalation since a 2014 war. Here's a description of where the situation stands:

How did this round begin?

The latest round of violence began on Sunday, when Israeli special forces were exposed operating inside the Gaza Strip. In an ensuing clash, an Israeli officer and seven Palestinian militants were killed, prompting Hamas to vow revenge.

Israel said the covert operation was an intelligence-gathering mission.

Its timing has raided questions since progress had been made in recent weeks toward ending months of unrest along the Gaza-Israel border, but the Israeli military said it was necessary to defend the country.

Palestinian militants responded with heavy fire on southern Israel, launching nearly 400 mortar rounds and rockets that wounded 27 people and killed one - a Palestinian living in southern Israel.

An anti-tank missile also hit a bus that Hamas says was being used by Israeli soldiers. A soldier was severely wounded.

Israel hit back with widespread strikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets, killing six Palestinians and wounding 25.

Israel says it has struck around 150 targets across the Palestinian enclave, including Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV building and an internal security building in Gaza City.

Efforts to prevent escalation

UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said he was working with Egypt so "Gaza steps back from the brink," and called for restraint on both sides.

Israeli officials would not confirm reports on ceasefire talks, as members of the security cabinet - the body authorised to declare war - convened in Tel Aviv.

Neither side is seen as wanting another war, but the violence threatened to spin out of control.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said they had "the intelligence and capabilities to strike a very wide range of military targets that belong to Hamas."

Hamas's armed wing warned it would expand its targets if Israeli strikes continued.

The Israeli army estimated there were 20,000 projectiles in Gaza that could be fired.

Months of unrest

The latest round of violence came after months of deadly unrest along the Gaza-Israel border, but there had been progress toward restoring calm in recent weeks.

Israel had allowed Qatar to bring $15 million into Gaza for salaries as well as fuel to ease an electricity shortage, as part of understandings aimed at calming the border, where protests have triggered frequent clashes since March 30.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the move, saying he wanted to avoid war if it was not necessary.

As a result, border protests had been calmer over the past couple weeks.

At least 233 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30, the majority shot on the border, while others have died in Israeli strikes.

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that time.

Egypt and the United Nations had been brokering indirect negotiations for a long-term truce with Israel, against which Hamas has fought three wars since 2008.

Gaza in crisis

Gaza is ruled by Hamas, blacklisted as a terrorist movement by the European Union and the United States.

Israel maintains a crippling blockade of the Palestinian enclave to isolate Hamas and prevent it from building up its military capabilities.

Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which has been seeking ways to regain power over the small territory.

Multiple efforts to reconcile the Palestinian factions have failed, and with an unemployment rate of 53 percent, Mladenov recently warned of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which he said was "imploding."

Israel and Palestinian militants in the blockaded Gaza Strip have been exchanging fire in the worst escalation since a 2014 war. Here's a description of where the situation stands: How did this round begin?

Israel and Palestinian militants in the blockaded Gaza Strip have been exchanging fire in the worst escalation since a 2014 war. Here's a description of where the situation stands: How did this round begin? The latest round of violence began on Sunday, when Israeli special forces were exposed operating inside the Gaza Strip. In an ensuing clash, an Israeli officer and seven Palestinian militants were killed, prompting Hamas to vow revenge. Israel said the covert operation was an intelligence-gathering mission. Its timing has raided questions since progress had been made in recent weeks toward ending months of unrest along the Gaza-Israel border, but the Israeli military said it was necessary to defend the country. Palestinian militants responded with heavy fire on southern Israel, launching nearly 400 mortar rounds and rockets that wounded 27 people and killed one - a Palestinian living in southern Israel. An anti-tank missile also hit a bus that Hamas says was being used by Israeli soldiers. A soldier was severely wounded. Israel hit back with widespread strikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets, killing six Palestinians and wounding 25. Israel says it has struck around 150 targets across the Palestinian enclave, including Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV building and an internal security building in Gaza City. Efforts to prevent escalation UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said he was working with Egypt so "Gaza steps back from the brink," and called for restraint on both sides. Israeli officials would not confirm reports on ceasefire talks, as members of the security cabinet - the body authorised to declare war - convened in Tel Aviv. Neither side is seen as wanting another war, but the violence threatened to spin out of control. Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said they had "the intelligence and capabilities to strike a very wide range of military targets that belong to Hamas." Hamas's armed wing warned it would expand its targets if Israeli strikes continued. The Israeli army estimated there were 20,000 projectiles in Gaza that could be fired. Months of unrest The latest round of violence came after months of deadly unrest along the Gaza-Israel border, but there had been progress toward restoring calm in recent weeks. Israel had allowed Qatar to bring $15 million into Gaza for salaries as well as fuel to ease an electricity shortage, as part of understandings aimed at calming the border, where protests have triggered frequent clashes since March 30. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the move, saying he wanted to avoid war if it was not necessary. As a result, border protests had been calmer over the past couple weeks. At least 233 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30, the majority shot on the border, while others have died in Israeli strikes. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that time. Egypt and the United Nations had been brokering indirect negotiations for a long-term truce with Israel, against which Hamas has fought three wars since 2008. Gaza in crisis Gaza is ruled by Hamas, blacklisted as a terrorist movement by the European Union and the United States. Israel maintains a crippling blockade of the Palestinian enclave to isolate Hamas and prevent it from building up its military capabilities. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from forces loyal to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which has been seeking ways to regain power over the small territory. Multiple efforts to reconcile the Palestinian factions have failed, and with an unemployment rate of 53 percent, Mladenov recently warned of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which he said was "imploding."

Israel-Gaza escalation: What you need to know

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