The Human Cost Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Over The Past Decade [Infographic]

After weeks of tension stoked by violent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protestors in Jerusalem, the situation has escalated sharply. Israel carried out heavy airstrikes in Gaza early on Wednesday while Hamas militants launched rocket barrages towards major Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, Ashkelon and Beersheba. One of Israel's airstrikes struck and destroyed the Hanadi tower which was a combined office and apartment complex owned by Hamas. In response, the militant group fired at least 130 rockets towards major Israeli population centers in what is thought to be the largest single barrage ever. Footage posted on social media shows Israeli Iron Dome missiles intercepting and destroying several incoming projectiles as air raid sirens blare in the background.

The death toll has been rising since the violence broke out on Monday night and so far, 35 people have been killed in Gaza along with five in Israel. UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland urged both sides to de-escalate. "Stop the fire immediately. We're escalating towards a full-scale war", Wennesland warned before adding that "the cost of war in Gaza is devastating and is being paid by ordinary people." Meanwhile Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that "this is just the beginning" of Israel's strikes while Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh warned that "if Israel wants to escalate, we are ready for it". Sadly, the violence and casualties seen in the region this week are nothing new and thousands of people have been killed in the conflict over the past decade alone.

According to data published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), some 5,600 Palestinians died between 2008 and 2020 while nearly 115,000 were injured. During the same period, around 250 Israelis have died while approximately 5,600 were injured. 2014 was a particularly violent year that saw Israel conduct Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza strip in response to the kidnapping and murder of three teenagers. Also aimed at eliminating Hamas rocket fire, the seven-week long campaign resulted in more than 2,000 deaths, the majority of them Gazans. 2018 also saw protests along Gaza's border, resulting in injuries to more than 28,000 Palestinians.

*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)