How Did It Start?

The timeline is clear.

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Update

Even though the New Yorker allows this incorrect order of chronology:

Two months after the nine-month U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations folded, Israel is now mobilizing its forces for a possible ground attack on the Gaza Strip, and Hamas is firing rockets.

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From MFA:

During the week of May 21-27, 2014 one rocket hit was identified in an open area in southern Israel. There were no casualties and no damage reported. On May 21, 2014, mortar shells were fired and an IED was planted near an IDF bulldozer north of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

On the evening of June 1, 2014, a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into an open area in the western Negev. There were no casualties and no damage reported.
During the week of June 11-17, 2014 six rocket hits were identified in the western Negev.
Early in the morning on June 14, 2014, two rocket hits were identified in the western Negev, one exploding in a yard in a town near Ashqelon. There were no casualties and no damage reported.
On June 15, 2014, two Grad rockets were fired at Ashqelon. They were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. Minor damage to home property was reported.
On June 16, 2014, a rocket hit was identified in the Ashqelon region. There were no casualties and no damage reported.

From TIP:

·         June 11: One rocket fired at southern Israel.
·         June 12: Three Israeli teenagers, Naftali Fraenkel, and Eyal Yifrach kidnapped in the West Bank.
·         June 15: Four rockets fired at Israel from Gaza; two of which were intercepted by Iron Dome, meaning they were intended for civilian targets.
·         June 18: Five rockets fired from Gaza; two hit the Sha’ar Hanagev Regional Council and one house was damaged by the explosions.
·         June 21: Three rockets fired at Israel; one hit the Sha’ar Hanagev Regional Council, one hit Hof Ashkelon Regional Council.
·         June 27: Gaza terrorists fired six rockets at Israel; Iron Dome intercepted two rockets.
·         June 29: Four rockets fired from Gaza into the South of Israel; 2 intercepted by the Iron Dome.
·         July 30: Bodies of the three kidnapped teenagers found in the West Bank.
·         June 30: 16 rockets launched from Gaza in the early morning, some went down in Sedot Negev Regional Council community.
·         July 1: One rocket fired from Gaza into the Eshkol Regional Council late at night. Four more rockets fired, one fell in Sdot Negev, one caused damage to several vehicles in the Eshkol Regional Council, a third exploded in Hof Ashkelon Regional Council area. In the evening, a barrage of rocket fire was fired from Gaza towards the Eshkol Regional Council.
·         July 2: Two mortar rounds exploded in Eshkol Regional Council, followed by three more mortal shells fired from Gaza in the afternoon. Four mortar rounds were subsequently fired towards towns in the Eshkol Regional Council. One more rocket headed towards Ashkelon was shot down by Iron Dome. Shortly after, two more rockets exploded in open areas in the Eshkol Regional Council. Five rockets were launched from Gaza towards the Sdot Negev Regional Council and three were launched towards Ofakim, one was intercepted, the others fell in open areas. Later, one more rocket was fired on the Eshkol Regional Council.
·         July 2: Mohammed Abu Khdeir kidnapped and murdered in East Jerusalem.
·         July 6: More than 25 rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel.

From IDF Blog:

From start of Operation Protective Edge, 300 rockets have been fired at Israel; 220 have struck
Published on: July 8, 2014

And this:

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UPDATE from EOZ:-

... look how the UN frames the very beginning - that it started with an Israeli airstrike on June 11, and that rocket fire was a "response" to an Israeli airstrike. What happened before that?


From Ma'an, June 12: An Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian in Gaza on Wednesday after new rocket fire from the territory prompted Israel's premier to warn he holds President Mahmoud Abbas responsible.


Even the Arab Ma'an notes that Israel's airstrike was in response to rocket fire.


...What happened then?

June 1, from the Gaza NSO [my selection differes from EOZ]:

Gaza City has shown an increase in incidents reported, albeit a small increase from two to seven incidents.  All three of the rockets launched were reported to have come down beyond the Green Line according. In line with the response noted in Khan Yunis, an airstrike was conducted on 02JUN (two missiles fired, with no injuries reported) following the launch of a rocket on 01JUN.

So this NGO documented that Israeli actions only came after terrorists fired rockets first.

This is a pattern. The previous incident on May 23rd is disputed as to who fired first, but the one beforehand on May 21st was just as clear:

A Palestinian farmer was hit in the head by an Israeli bullet on Wednesday in the southern Gaza Strip, sustaining minor injuries, medics told Ma'an.

The man, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a military hospital in Khan Younis after being shot in the Khazaa area.

He was hit as Israeli soldiers retaliated against Palestinian militants who had detonated an explosive device, damaging a military vehicle.

To recap:

May 21: Gazans set a bomb at the border, Israel retaliates.

May 23: Disagreement as to who started shooting first.

June 1: Rocket fired from Gaza, Israel responds with airstrike the next day.

June 11: Rocket fired from Gaza, Israel responds with an airstrike against a terrorist. More rockets are shot at Israel.

In three out of the four incidents culminating with the June 11th incident, everyone agrees that Gazans fired first and Israel retaliated. Chances are very good that the same thing happened on May 23.

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