Understanding the war in Gaza and the myriad political and historical currents that have shaped this part of the world could take a lifetime. As the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent, it is my job to try and convey the complexities of the region in news stories. It is always worth digging deeper, however, and while there are hundreds of books that offer insights into Israel and Palestine’s past and present, these are some of my favourites. Both the nonfiction and novels I’ve chosen are deeply human, centring the experiences of the people living here and how and why they can feel...