Have you been following the fighting this week on the Gaza strip? Finally, Hamas and Israel have agreed to cease fire effective 2 p.m. EST today. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been in the Middle East, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who has been mediating the talks.
It was looking very grim for days, with over 100 deaths -- most of them civilians, including children and journalists, culminating in a bus bombing Wednesday morning, injuring 27 people.
With all this fighting taking place during the lull between the Presidential elections and the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, perhaps you haven’t been following the events. Here are some helpful primers on the ongoing conflict:
The Washington Post has answers to 9 Questions about Israel-Gaza that you were too embarrassed to ask.
PBS Newshour has an explanation from the Council on Foreign Relations on What is Hamas?
And Salon and Global Post explain How did it come to this?
Our hearts go out to all the victims of the violence in the Middle East. As Americans head into the season of Thanksgiving and hoping for peace on earth, how do you feel about the latest conflict on the Gaza strip? Do you think the cease-fire will lead to any lasting solutions?
News and Politics Editor Grace Hwang Lynch blogs at HapaMama and A Year (Almost) Without Shopping.