Israel

Some Israelis are flying to China to buy most everything they need to furnish a home. They say it's cheaper than buying in Israel, though there are also cautionary tales of shopping trips gone wrong.

You're not supposed to be able to buy cement commercially in Gaza, but some is being sold illicitly. The material is crucial for replacing homes and shops destroyed in the summer war.

The Parents Circle is a group of Israeli and Palestinian mothers and fathers who have lost children in the conflict. Two of them visited NPR and said this summer's war has only made conditions worse.

Hamas militants are using tunnels in and out of Gaza to strike inside Israel. Israelis are questioning how the tunnels grew to be so complex and why the military hasn't been able to shut them down.

The West Bank and Gaza are less than 40 miles apart, and many Palestinians have ties to both places. Yet the current fighting has made it even harder than usual to stay in touch, let alone visit.

The Israeli army's invasion on the margins of the Gaza Strip has already wreaked havoc and injury for Gazans. A day in the life of the Abu Tawila family illustrates that stark and tragic reality.