Families in New Zealand on both sides of the conflict have been waiting for news of their loved ones.
Israeli-born Gilad Wagner lives with his young family in Christchurch but his parents' home is less than one kilometre from Gaza.
At 6am two days ago, militants entered the town and his parents' neighbours were shot.
"Terrorists broke into their house and shot him and his wife, killing her, and he was wounded and came to their place," Wagner explained
The parents survived 24 hours in their shelter with their wounded neighbour, but hundreds of civilians did not survive.
"Take them to Gaza Strip, kill them, kidnap, it's our worst nightmare ever."
Half a world away, Wagner said he feels helpless.
"It's hard because right now every hour or two you get another message, another person that you know that something's happened to him - it's not human."
Palestinian Ahmed Saadeh and his young family have been in Waikato for 12 years but relatives in Gaza are suffering under the Israeli bombardment.
He said there's rarely power, water, internet or food but his auntie tells him it's even worse now.
"When I'm talking to her I'm hearing the noise, I'm hearing the people even screaming in the neighbourhood, I'm hearing the children in the house fairly worried, they're afraid about what's going to happen," Saadeh said. "I'm hearing also the aeroplanes bombing other places."
Saadeh said there was a lot of sympathy for Muslims after the Christchurch terror attacks, but they aren't feeling that now.
"We never hear anything about us as Palestinians, we're just being portrayed as violent, as barbaric, as war advocate people, which is definitely wrong."
Tensions in Israel are being reflected here, with some Jewish leaders advised to tighten their own security.
"We are in a heightened security awareness situation, shall we say, so we've been getting support from the police and advice from the police," NZ Jewish Council's Juliet Moses said.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has told Nanaia Mahuta to prepare the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contribute to any international humanitarian response needed in the conflict.
He's also spoken to his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese who he says is on the same page.
