The Gaza War, also known as Operation Cast Lead, also known in the Muslim world as the Gaza Massacre, and referred to as the Battle of al-Furqan by Hamas, is a three-week armed conflict between Gaza Strip Palestinian paramilitary groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that begins on December 27, 2008, and ends on January 18, 2009, with a unilateral ceasefire.

The conflict results in between eleven hundred and sixty-six and fourteen hundred and seventeen Palestinian and thirteen Israeli deaths (four from friendly fire).

The Israeli government's stated goal is to stop indiscriminate Palestinian rocket fire into Israel and weapons smuggling into the Gaza strip.

Hamas states its rocket fire, which had resumed in November 2008, is in response to an Israeli raid of a tunnel leading from Gaza, which it characterizes as a ceasefire violation.

Israel say the raid was a preemptive strike against a tunnel they believe would be used to abduct Israeli soldiers guarding the border.

In the initial air assault, Israeli forces attack  police stations, military targets including weapons caches and suspected rocket firing teams, as well as political and administrative institutions in the opening assault, striking in the densely populated cities of Gaza, Khan Yunis and Rafah.

After hostilities break out, Palestinian groups fire rockets in response to what they characterize as "massacres".

The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets as illegal under international law.

An Israeli ground invasion begins on January 3.

On January 5, the IDF begins operating in the densely populated urban centers of Gaza.

During the last week of the offensive (from January 12), Israel mostly hits targets it had damaged before and strikes Palestinian rocket-launching units.

Hamas intensifies its rocket and mortar attacks against mostly civilian targets in southern Israel, reaching the major cities of Beersheba and Ashdod for the first time during the conflict.

The conflict ends on January 18, when the IDF first declares a unilateral ceasefire, followed by Hamas' announcing a one-week ceasefire twelve hours later.

The IDF completes its withdrawal on January 21.

According to the Shin Bet, after the conflict, there is a decrease in Palestinian rocket attacks.

In September 2009, a UN special mission, headed by the South African Justice Richard Goldstone, will produce a report accusing both Palestinian militants and the IDF of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, and recommends bringing those responsible to justice.

In January 2010, the Israeli government will release a response criticizing the Goldstone Report and disputing its findings.

In 2011, Goldstone will write that he no longer believes that Israel intentionally targeted civilians in Gaza.

The other authors of the report, Hina Jilani, Christine Chinkin, and Desmond Travers, will reject Goldstone's re-assessment.

The United Nations Human Rights Council will order Israel to conduct various repairs of the damages.

On September 21, 2012, the United Nations Human Rights Council will concluded that seventy-five percent of civilian homes destroyed in the attack had not been not rebuilt.