A broad consensus of the Israeli public still justifies Operation Protective Edge, a month after Israel's government launched it, even though uncertainty remains about how the offensive against Hamas in Gaza will turn out, according to the latest Peace Index.

The group of neighbors surveyed the destruction wreaked on their residential complex by Israeli bombardment, with building after building flattened or punctured by shells. The men then began to voice something almost never heard out loud in Gaza: criticism of its Hamas rulers.

The Coordination Agency of Public Diplomacy (KDK) published some briefings on the humanitarian aid work carried out in Iraq and Palestine. Data is presented in an info-graphic prepared by the institution and is published in English, French and Arabic.

The Guardian has agreed to run an advertisement accusing Hamas of "child sacrifice" as another British newspaper, The Times, came under fire for refusing to print it. The ad, written by Nobel prize-winning author Elie Wiesel, calls on U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders to condemn Hamas' "use of children as human shields."

From the Israeli perspective, there’s some public diplomacy benefit here. The world is being somewhat distracted from what’s going on in Gaza, and now Israel is not the only country bombing Islamic extremists. But these are small comforts at best. Europe, in particular, seems to have gotten fed up with the IDF’s operations in Gaza, even as it declares its understanding for Israel’s right to defend itself. And despite the renewal of rocket fire, even the United States is expecting Israel to come to some long-term agreement with Hamas.

While turmoil and unrest continue in the Middle East, a group of Palestinians and Israelis have united in peace and found common ground -- on a soccer field. Goals of Peace 2014 Summer Camp took place from Sunday to Wednesday in the Wadi Ara region of Israel, according to a press release. About 80 kids, ages 11 to 13, participated in soccer scrimmages, field trips and educational programming while engaging in peaceful dialogue. 

Since the Israeli incursion into Gaza began more than a month ago, there has been a growing trend of celebrities vocalizing their reaction to the ongoing conflict. Media interest in the “flood of celebrities” and their outpourings has been incessant, provoking a level of scrutiny often reserved for world leaders. Expressions of solidarity with the Palestinians have emerged from a mix of artists. 

Three weeks ago, UK Jewish Film began receiving anxious emails and phone calls from the Tricycle Theatre, the north London home of the UK Jewish film festival for the past eight years. The board asked to be allowed to view in advance all of the films that were made with Israeli backing in order to approve their content. When the UKJFF dismissed this as censorship, the Tricycle conceded the point. But it refused to back down on another demand: that the festival should hand back the small percentage of its funding that came from the Israeli embassy.