Broken cease-fire
For the past three days, a Palestinian group and the Israeli military have been exchanging rocket fire and missile attacks across the Israel-Gaza border. It’s the most intense burst of violence in months. To help you understand what’s going on, my colleague Isabel Kershner, a Times correspondent in Jerusalem, is answering four questions in today’s newsletter. — David Leonhardt
1. How did it start?
Nearly three months ago, Khader Adnan — a Palestinian prisoner in Israel and a leader of an armed Palestinian group called Islamic Jihad — began a hunger strike to protest his detention. Adnan, who was 45, died last week.
Almost immediately, his death set off violence. That afternoon, Islamic Jihad launched more than 100 projectiles toward southern Israel. In response, Israeli officials began planning a counterassault.
A week later, Israeli missiles struck three apartments across the Gaza Strip within seconds of one another early Tuesday morning, killing three…
This article was written by Isabel Kershner and originally published on www.nytimes.com