At the end of a month of Israeli air strikes and Palestinian rocket launches in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army declared the start of “Operation Protective Edge.” The Israeli cabinet authorized the call-up of 40,000 reserve soldiers and the prime minister has said that a ground invasion is possible.

For the first time since “Operation Pillar of Defense,” Hamas rockets have reached Tel Aviv and almost as far as Haifa. In Gaza, the Israeli Air Force has been targeting the family homes of suspected Palestinian militants, leading to civilian casualties.

The operation comes as tensions were already high in Israel and the West Bank following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers, and the subsequent murderous kidnapping of a Palestinian teenager in East Jerusalem.

+927 bloggers bring reportage, commentary and vital analysis in this latest round of violence.

(Scroll down for +972’s past coverage of recent escalations, including “Operation Pillar of Defense.”)