The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge, was a seven-week military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas since 2007. The conflict followed the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas-affiliated militants, leading to Israel's Operation Brother's Keeper and the arrest of numerous Palestinians in the West Bank. This escalated into increased rocket attacks from Hamas into Israel, sparking the war.

Israel's aim was to stop rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, while Hamas sought to lift the Israeli–Egyptian blockade of Gaza, end Israel's military offensive, secure a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, and release Palestinian political prisoners. The conflict saw Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other groups launch rockets into Israel, which Israel responded to with airstrikes and a ground invasion aimed at destroying Gaza's tunnel system.^[251]

The war began with a Hamas rocket attack following an incident in Khan Yunis, either an Israeli airstrike or an accidental explosion. Israel's aerial operation began on 8 July, and the ground invasion commenced on 17 July, ending on 5 August. An open-ended ceasefire was announced on 26 August. During the conflict, Palestinian groups fired over 4,500 rockets and mortars at Israel, with many intercepted or landing in open areas. The IDF targeted numerous locations in Gaza, destroying tunnels and depleting Hamas's rocket arsenal.

The conflict resulted in 2,125^[252] to 2,310^[253] Gazan deaths and 10,626^[253] to 10,895^[254] injuries, including many children and civilians. Estimates of civilian casualties vary, with figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, the UN, and Israeli officials differing. The UN reported over 7,000 homes destroyed and significant economic damage.^[255] On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers, 5 civilians, and a Thai civilian were killed, with hundreds injured. The war had a considerable economic impact on Israel.^[256]