Israeli Report Finds 2014 Gaza War 'Lawful' Ahead of Critical U.N. Investigation

"Democracy Now!" airs weekdays at 9 a.m. PT on KCET.

The Israeli government has released a report that concludes its military actions in the 2014 war in Gaza were "lawful" and "legitimate." The findings come ahead of what is expected to be a critical United Nations investigation into the 50-day conflict that Israel has dismissed as biased and refused to cooperate with. More than 2,200 Palestinians died in what was called "Operation Protective Edge," the vast majority civilians.

On Israel's side, 73 people were killed, all but six of them soldiers. In its report, Israel says it made "substantial efforts" to avoid civilian deaths, insisting Hamas was to blame for the high number of civilian casualties and accusing Hamas militants of disguising themselves as civilians and of converting civilian buildings into military centers. "Democracy Now!" is joined by Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and the former executive director of The Jerusalem Fund. "Democracy Now!" also goes to Tel Aviv to speak with Gideon Levy, Haaretz columnist, whose latest piece is, "Israel washed itself clean of Gaza's dead beach children."