In late December 2008, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert authorised Operation Cast Lead in response to rocket attacks from Hamas-controlled territory in Gaza.
The three-week military assault killed around 1,400 Palestinians, including more than 300 children. Thousands of homes were destroyed, and hospitals, UN shelters, power stations, water facilities, food storage sites, schools and mosques were severely damaged. Medical rescue teams and humanitarian workers were obstructed.
A UN fact-finding mission documented indiscriminate attacks, the use of white phosphorus in populated areas, and what it deemed the collective punishment of the entire population of Gaza.
