First published 2016
Max Blumenthal chronicles the 2014 conflict between Israel and Hamas that devastated Gaza over fifty-one days. The journalist was present throughout Israel-Palestine during the war that began with Israeli air strikes on July 8, 2014, followed by ground invasion. Blumenthal argues this catastrophe could have been avoided entirely. He documents the conditions and deceptions that sparked the conflict, which killed over 2,200 people, mostly Palestinian civilians including more than 500 children. The assault destroyed at least 10,000 homes and displaced nearly 300,000 Palestinians according to United Nations data. Through intimate reportage, Blumenthal examines controversial issues including Israeli forces using civilians as human shields, arbitrary targeting of Palestinian civilians, and radicalization among Israeli officials and military leadership. He recorded testimonies from Gaza residents in destroyed border areas, investigating potential war crimes and the military doctrine behind them. Blumenthal warns that the conflict's aftermath makes another military assault on Gaza nearly inevitable.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, middle-east, current-affairs, activism
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: intimate-reportage, investigative-journalism
Setting: Gaza, Israel, Palestine
Period: 2014
273 pages · Paperback · Bold Type Books
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, war