Five months after the conflict in Gaza began, the undeclared war continues to exact a terrible toll on the lives and livelihoods of civilians. The 130 Israelis taken hostage during the Hamas atrocities of 7 October last year are still in captivity in unimaginable conditions. At the time of writing, the number of Palestinian civilian deaths exceeds 28,000; there are virtually no fully-functioning hospitals in Gaza; a member of the Israeli war cabinet has threatened that Israel will begin an offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza if Hamas does not release the hostages by the start of Ramadan on 10 March. There are hopes of a US-sponsored ceasefire, but the situation is febrile.