Confrontations between Israel and Hamas escalate

Relatives and friends of al-Hajj family mourn as they gather in a mosque to pray over the bodies of the eight family members during their funeral in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on July 10, 2014. Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza relentlessly, causing a growing number of civilian casualties, as the UN Security Council was to meet urgently over Israel's spiralling confrontation with Hamas.

Airstrikes and rocket launches in Israel and the Gaza strip continued Wednesday.

Airstrikes and rocket launches in Israel and the Gaza strip continued Wednesday. The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that the death toll is rising, to at least 78 at last report, and that women and children are among those killed in the intensified aerial attacks in the region.

Hamas’ rockets are firing deeper into Israel and have been gunned down, and about 20,000 Israeli reservists have been called up amidst talks of potential ground operations.

Israeli-Palestinian relations have collapsed in the wake of the deaths of three kidnapped Israeli teens, a retaliation from Israel, and continued airstrikes. With each side making a show of military strength, goals to quiet things down in the region remain unfulfilled.

How might tensions between Israel and Hamas resolve or escalate? What is the U.S.’s role in aiding discussions in the region?

Guest:

Robert Danin, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations