The pace has obviously increased, but IDF has been shooting civilians and journalists in Gaza and the west bank and hamas has been flinging rockets at Israel for years now.

Depending on how you count it, you could say there’s been some sort of fighting and violence going on for decades. Even though, you can distinguish several periods of intensified war (such as the numerous intifadas), it’s difficult to call the in-between parts “peace”.

Blockades and sieges are acts of war.

Gaza had been under a blockade for 17 years.