A 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza has held for a second day. According to a UN official, 408 Palestinian children have been killed during the fighting in Gaza, and another 2,502 have been injured. But when it comes to the total number of casualties, Israel and the Palestinians disagree on how many civilians versus combatants have been killed – a number that would indicate how appropriately commanders used force in the field.
Palestinian groups are considering giving the International Criminal Court jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes committed by both sides during the fighting.
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized laws-of-war violations by Ukrainian government forces, referring its unlawful use of unguided rockets in populated areas. He should also address other laws-of-war violations – such as the mass grave found in an area recently controlled by Moscow-backed fighters and the targeting of medical facilities.
At least 54 women and children are still being held hostage by rebels inside Syria one year after they were seized in August 2013. The group are in a rural part of Latakia governorate and are being held, it's believed, to aid rebel groups' negotiations with the Syrian government. Eerie videos of the hostages have been released.
Islamic militant group ISIS is wreaking havoc across both Syria and Iraq. The war in Syria continues to devolve as ISIS fights Assad’s government and more mainstream Syrian rebel groups, all while also taking on Kurdish forces, as the war between rebels and the government grinds on.
