They also captured around 240 others- children, men and women- and kept them hostage.

It was the biggest killing of Jews since the Holocaust during World War Two.

Israel's response was brutal- in the past year they have bombed Gaza- bombed refugee camps, schools, hospitals, homes- and in the process killed over 41,000 children, women and men.

In the past few weeks, the war has escalated...another Shia militant group, backed by Iran- Hezbollah- have increased their attacks from Southern Lebanon into Northern Israel, and in response Israel has launched a ferocious response on Lebanon- they killed Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah and they've been blamed for exploding pagers and walkie talkies being carried by Hezbollah members.

The Lebanese health ministry say nearly 2000 people have been killed there in the past three weeks.

And then Iran got directly involved- they fired 1800 rockets at Israel- most of which were intercepted by the Israeli missile defence systems. How Israel will respond to that is not yet clear.

So this is the scenario that is facing the Middle East right now. What might happen next? What can the United States and Europe do to stop it?

Presenter Audrey Carville in conversation with Gershon Baskin, who has been advisor to both Israeli, Palestinian and international prime ministers on the peace process, Dr Yvonne Ridley is a journalist and author - she was taken hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, and Dr Leon Litvack is from Queen's University.