After six months of intense human suffering, both sides of the Israel and Gaza conflict have experienced a collective trauma that will affect generations for years to come. It all started with a Hamas attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people along with the taking of 240 hostages. It was the single deadliest assault against Jews since the Holocaust. The Israeli response has been brutal, killing over 30,000 Gazans, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, mostly innocent women and children. The situation in the Gaza Strip is now dire, with millions not having enough food, housing, or medical care to meet the needs of a desperate population. Despite this, cease-fire negotiations continue to falter, and both sides remain far apart. After traveling to The Holy Land, USA TODAY World Affairs Correspondent Kim Hjelmgaard provides a special report for The Excerpt on the human stories that define this tragic conflict.

Episode Transcript available here

Also available at art19.com/shows/5-Things

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.