army

Israel says it has the most moral army in the world, has not committed war crimes, and is fighting a just war in the defence of its citizens.

Their armies have faced accusations of crimes against civilians, as violence has escalated in the region against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Palestine is currently recognised as a state by around 75% of the UN's 193 member states, but has no internationally agreed boundaries, capital or army - making recognition largely symbolic.

Its so-called institutions, among them our nation’s increasingly threadbare 18th-century Constitution, are visibly crumbling, as if eaten away from within by an army of persistent termites.

"An army jeep came up and five or six soldiers pointed their weapons at me, telling me to leave. I didn't even know my son was martyred. I started dragging him away."