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Ceasefire Unravels In Gaza

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A 72-hour truce ended almost before it started when violence erupted in and around the southern town of Rafah. More than 30 Palestinians were killed by Israeli shelling and at least two Israeli soldiers were killed and another captured.

Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaking the ceasefire, which had been announced by the U.S. and the U.N.

The breakdown of the ceasefire and the apparent capture of the Israeli soldier set the stage for a major escalation of the 25-day-old conflict, which has already devastated large swaths of the impoverished coastal strip.

Israel had said it would continue demolishing cross-border tunnels behind its own defensive lines during the cease-fire, and the military said its troops were attacked during one such operation.

The BBC's Nick Childs joins Here & Now's Robin Young with details.

Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.

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This segment aired on August 1, 2014.

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