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Part AIntroduction and Methodology1. IntroductionOn 8 July 2014, Israel launched a military attack 1 on the Gaza Strip, which it termedOperation Protective Edge; its stated aim was to stop escalating rocket fire fromGaza into southern Israel. 2 Its broader context was a prior military operation againstHamas infrastructure in the West Bank, 3 following the 12 June 2014 abduction of 3Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank (declared dead on 30 June 2014), andHamas’ earlier decision to signal unity with the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority bysupporting its new government inaugurated on 2 June 2014 – a decision met withhostility by the Israeli government. 4 On 17 July 2014 the attack was expanded toa ground invasion whose stated aim was to destroy Gaza’s tunnel system. Afterseveral short-lived ceasefires and repeated failure of negotiations through externalbrokers including Egypt and the United States, an open-ended ceasefire was finallydeclared on 26 August 2014.Although accounts vary, most estimates put the number of residents of Gaza killedin the Israeli attack at over 2,100, including over 500 children. According to multiplesources at least 70% of those killed were civilians. 5 Over 11,000 residents of Gaza, outof a total population of 1.8 million, were wounded. 61The operation was announced on 7 Jul 2014, with airstrikes commencing shortly after midnight on 8 Jul 2014.2See e.g., Haaretz, 7 Jul 2014 http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.603472 accessed 18 Nov 2014.3Termed ‘Operation Brother’s Keeper’ by the Israeli army. See e.g., Haaretz, 19 Jun 2014 http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.599757 accessed 18 Nov 20144See e.g. Haaretz Editorial, 2 Jun 2014 http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.596570 accessed 20 Nov 20145See e.g. UN OCHA, Gaza Emergency Situation Report as of 4 Sep 2014, available at http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_sitrep_04_09_2014.pdf , accessed 18 Nov 2014.6According to a World Health Organisation (WHO)-led Health Impact Assessment published in September 2014 and referredto in this report as the Health Cluster report, as of September 2014, 2,145 deaths and 11,231 injuries were recorded among14