The territory Palestinians claim for their own state is separated into two: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The densely populated coastal enclave known as the Gaza Strip is about 40 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide and is home to 1.7 million people.

The two territories are governed by different parties. Hamas, an Islamist movement which refuses to recognise Israel and maintains its right to armed struggle against Israel, took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after months of conflict with Fatah, a secular group which has represented the Palestinian national cause in talks with Israel.

Fatah took control of the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after the collapse of a short-lived unity government.

The two arch-rivals announced a fresh "national unity” government last month. But Israel said it would not negotiate with a government with ties to Hamas, which it lists as a terrorist organisation.

What sparked the current conflict?

Early last month three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped while hitchhiking in the West Bank. They were found murdered weeks later.

After an extensive search for the perpetrators which included mass arrests of Hamas members, Hamas fired more rockets into Israeli territory.

On Sunday, the Israeli Defence Forces says a further 70 rockets were fired into its territory, taking the total fired to 1400.

The range of the weapons is growing and air raid sirens have rung out in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to do whatever it takes to stop the rocket fire.

What is the death toll?

100 Palestinians were killed on Sunday and 13 Israeli soldiers.

The total number of people killed in the latest violence is more than 500 Palestinians and 18 Israeli soldiers.

What about civilian casualties?

A “situation report” by the United Nations Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs found that 270 Palestinian civilians have been killed, including 83 children.

More than 10,000 people have been displaced, more than 80,000 of whom are being housed in schools. About 43 per cent of Gaza has been affected by evacuation warnings or declared a “no go” zone.

The Israeli government says it issues warnings before rocket strikes and that Hamas is deliberately placing civilians in harm's way.

How does it compare with fighting in previous years?

The conflict has been running for 13 days and has become the bloodiest phase in five years of the broader Arab-Israeli conflict.

Israel's Operation Cast Lead lasted for more than three weeks in 2008 and saw between 1100 and 1300 deaths. In 2012, Israel's Operation Pillar of Defence lasted eight days and left 158 Palestinians dead, including 103 civilians, according to United Nations estimates. Two Israeli soldiers and four Israeli civilians were killed.

Why is Israel using ground forces?

Israel has primarily been targeting Hamas with air strikes. But on Thursday tens of thousands of Israeli troops entered the territory.

Israel is seeking to dismantle a network of tunnels in Gaza that lead into Israeli territory. AFP reported the Israel military has already destroyed 1300 tunnels, which are used to transfer food and consumer products into the blockaded territory, but may also be used to store long-range missiles.

What prospect of peace?

The international community and United Nations have made calls for ceasefire and peace talks.

Peace for the two previous conflicts was brokered by Egypt. But its ceasefire plan has been rejected by Hamas, whose relations with the new Egyptian regime are frosty. Egypt did not discuss its latest ceasefire plan with Hamas before announcing it.

US Secretary of State John Kerry will fly to Cairo to work on ceasefire talks based on those that successfully ended fighting in 2012.

But there are hopes that Qatar, which has a better relationship with Hamas, may emerge as a new mediator. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Doha on Saturday.

What does Hamas want?

Hamas released a 10-point peace plan, which offered a 10-year truce in exchange for, among other things, the release of prisoners and a lifting of the economic blockade of Gaza.

What does Israel want?

Israel is seeking to stop rocket attacks and grind down Hamas’ military infrastructure but its military leaders have said this does not extend to toppling the government.