It took just 48 hours for the death toll to rise to more than a thousand and it’s only going to grow as Israel responds to the surprise attack by Hamas militants. 

For decades there’s been hope of a peace deal, but now Israel has declared war with more than a hundred of its citizens also taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group. 

Today, the ABC’s global affairs editor John Lyons on the unprecedented attack, the history of the disputed territory and why he believes there’s still hope for peace. 

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John Lyons, ABC global affairs editor