On July Israel launched air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza followed by a ground invasion The ensuing fifty-one days of war left more than people dead the vast majority of whom were Palestinian civilians including over children During the assault at least homes were destroyed and according to the United Nations nearly Palestinians were displaced Max Blumenthal was in Gaza and throughout IsraelPalestine during what he argues was an entirely avoidable catastrophe In this explosive work of intimate reportage Blumenthal reveals the harrowing conditions and cynical deceptions that led to the ruinous warand tells the human storiesBlumenthal brings the battles in Gaza to life detailing the ferocious clashes that took place when Israels military invaded the besieged strip He radically shifts the discussion around a number of highly contentious issues the use of civilians as human shields by Israeli forces the arbitrary targeting of Palestinian civilians and the radicalization of Israeli public officials and top military personnel Amid the rubble of Gazas border regions Blumenthal recorded the testimonies from scores of residents documenting potential war crimes committed by the Israeli armed forces while carefully examining the military doctrine that led to themMore than a chronicle of war and devastation The Day War is an urgent warning that the aftermath of the conflict has made another military assault on Gaza almost inevitable And while the people of Gaza will once again prove their resilience the world can no longer just stand aside and watch.
