Newsbeat's guide to... the conflict in Israel and Gaza

Israeli warplanes launched strikes on the Gaza Strip last week in retaliation to rocket attacks from Gaza

US and European airlines have suspended flights to Israel's Ben Gurion airport after a rocket landed one mile (1.6km) away.

It comes as Israel continues air strikes on Gaza as Palestinian militant group Hamas fire rockets in to Israel.

More than 630 Palestinians and 30 Israelis have been killed in the past 15 days of fighting, officials say.

Thousands of civilians have fled their homes in Northern Gaza.

A United Airlines departure board at Newark International Airport in New Jersey

Thousands of Israeli troops are now on the border with Gaza although it's not clear if there'll be further ground operations inside Gaza.

The UN estimates that 77% of those killed by Israeli strikes were civilians, but Israel say they're determined to end the launching of rockets into their territory.

Both Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and US Secretary of State John Kerry are in the region to try to put an end to the fighting.

The flight suspension prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ask the US to renew flights to Israel.

Mr Netanyahu, asked US Secretary of State John Kerry for help lifting the FAA ban, which comes amidst heightened scrutiny over flights near conflict zones.

Why is there conflict in Israel?

Israel was formed after the end of World War Two in 1948.

There's been fighting between Israel, the Palestinians and its Arab neighbours ever since over ownership of the land, which is considered holy by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

After the fighting in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs were forced to leave land now part of the State of Israel.

There were full-scale regional wars in 1948, 1967 and 1973 as well as other smaller conflicts.

Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have lived under Israeli occupation since 1967.

Peace talks have been taking place since the early 1990s over control of Jerusalem.

Despite the handover of Gaza and parts of the West Bank to Palestinian control in 2005, the talks are ongoing.

What is Hamas?

Senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk wants to move back to the Gaza Strip from Egypt

Hamas is a Palestinian militant group and the ruling party of the Gaza strip.

It came to power in 2006 after it was democratically elected in parliamentary elections.

It is seen by its supporters as a legitimate fighting force defending the rights of Palestinians from occupation.

However it is viewed by the US, the EU, Canada, Japan and Israel as a terrorist organisation.

In February 2007, Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a government of national unity.

In June 2007 Hamas forcibly took control of the Gaza strip.

Israel was angered by the creation of a Palestinian unity government which brought together Hamas with the Palestinian Authority in April.

What is Fatah?

Azzam al-Ahmed from Fatah was interviewed during talks between his organisation and Hamas in May

Fatah is the main political party within the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, is the leader of the PLO and of Fatah and is also now Palestinian Authority president.

The party believes in the right to a Palestinian homeland, but also the right to return to Israel.

They want Israelis to stop building settlements on land in the West Bank territories, where they want a Palestinian state.

The PLO controls some of the West Bank and used to control Gaza.

Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in April after years of division and formed a unity government, called the Palestinian Authority, last month.

What is Likud?

Benjamin Netanyahu was elected Israeli Prime Minister for a third term after elections in 2013

Likud is the major party on the political right in Israel. The current Prime Minister of Likud and Israel is Benjamin Netanyahu.

The party is traditionally in favour of keeping a united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the right to settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Peace talks collapsed in September 2010 when the construction of settlements resumed at the end of a 10-month freeze.

Peace talks resumed in July 2013 but collapsed in April 2014 when Israel published tenders to build more settlements and cancelled the fourth round of Palestinian prisoner releases.

That was at the same time that the Palestinians applied to join several treaties which could give them membership of 15 UN and international agencies.

Where is Gaza?

Gaza is an area between Israel and Egypt, home to 1.5 million Palestinians.

There has been fighting for decades between the Israeli government and the Palestinian people who want Gaza to be one part of an independent state of Palestine.

Gaza is controlled by an Islamic militant group called Hamas, which is an acronym for a group of words in Arabic.

One translation is "enthusiasm" or "zeal".

The last significant conflict between the two sides was in Operation "Pillar of Defence" in November 2012.

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