No-one knows how many bodies lie under the rubble in GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt. . We may never know the exact figure.¹ But in the end it was just six bodies that brought the war to a crisis point.

They were hostages taken by the militant group HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. during its 7 OctoberOn 7 October 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas, which controls Gaza, carried out a series of surprise attacks on Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and taking more than one hundred hostages. attacks on Israel last year. And their deaths have caused a wave of outrage.

The six were slated to be released in July under a draft deal with Hamas, but the agreement fell through, protesters say, because prime minister Benjamin NetanyahuThe prime minister of Israel. wanted to continue the war.

Netanyahu's defenders retort that Hamas is to blame for their deaths. They say the Israeli government cannot afford to show weakness, or there will be more attacks.

How did this all begin? In 1948, Israeli forces conquered most of what had been the British colony of Mandatory PalestineA British colony, which included modern-day Israel and Palestinian territories, that existed between 1920 and 1948..²

Around 700,000 Palestinians were forced from the towns and villages of their birth by Israeli soldiers and fled to the West BankA landlocked territory bordered by Israel, Jordan and the Dead Sea. It is the largest of the Palestinian territories. and Gaza, still under Arab control.³ This event is known as the "Nakba", or "catastrophe" by Palestinians.

Those who attempted to return to their former homes, flocks, and crops were shot on sight by Israeli soldiers.⁴

The two sides continued to launch raids. Then in 1967, Israel launched the Six-Day WarA 1967 conflict lasting six days between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Israel won, capturing large amounts of land. and conquered both the West Bank and Gaza, putting them under military occupation and settling them illegally.⁵

Since the 1990s, the official position of the international community has been that the West Bank and Gaza should ultimately become a Palestinian state. However, each side claims the other has sabotaged peace deals.

In 2006, Hamas took over the Gaza strip. Israel imposed a blockadeSealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving. on the strip, claiming it needed to stop Hamas from acquiring weapons. However, it also banned the import of many foods and medicines.⁶

Palestinians, the UNUnited Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security. and World Bank say this created a humanitarian crisis.⁷ Israel says the crisis was caused by Hamas, which spent money on weapons and underground tunnels rather than the needs of Gazans.

The two have frequently fought wars since then, with Israel launching devastating airstrikes on densely-populated Gaza, and Hamas firing rockets that hit civilian areas in Israel.

Hamas says as an occupied people they have the right to resist oppression. Israel says it must defend itself by any means necessary.

It may seem like peace has never been further away. But some are hopeful. They say if the protests bring Netanyahu down, there may be a chance to build peace out of the ruins.

Is the Israeli government partly to blame?

Yes: Israel's leaders failed to make a deal to release the hostages. The country has also never made amends for dispossessing the Palestinians in 1948.

No: The hostages' executioners are the only ones who should be blamed. Israel has done what any country would: advanced the interests of its own citizens and protected them from harm.

Or... The chain of fault and grievance goes back a long way. The only path to peace may be to give up all thought of blame.