Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

Israel and Hamas are exchanging not only gunfire, but also mutual accusations as to which side is to blame for breaking the fragile cease-fire.

The two sides had reached an informal agreement six months ago on stopping military actions, but attempts to renew the period of calm fell short, as each side blamed the other for not adhering to the agreement.

This timeline of events leading up to the war describes the tit for tat that took place in Gaza in recent years. This densely populated area, though never a tranquil region, has been thrown into an even greater sense of chaos in the period following Israel’s disengagement from Gaza. With Hamas overthrowing the Fatah regime and intensifying attacks against Israel, Gaza turned into a leading source of instability.

For Gazans, life has become increasingly difficult, as the international community shunned the Hamas government and Israel closed border crossings. Israelis, in turn, have suffered the terror of constant rocket barrages.

This timeline provides a factual outline of the events that led up to the current round of fighting.

Click image below to see timeline:

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