Israel–Hamas war
Ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups[lower-alpha 19] has been taking place chiefly in and around the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. It began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. After clearing the militants from its territory, the Israeli military embarked on an extensive aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip followed by a large-scale ground invasion beginning on 27 October. Clashes have also occurred in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and with Hezbollah along the Israel–Lebanon–Golan Heights border. The fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008, it is part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and the most significant military engagement in the region since the Yom Kippur War 50 years earlier.[151]
The Hamas-led attack on 7 October involved a barrage of several thousand rockets directed at Israel concurrent to an estimated 3,000 militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier and attacking Israeli civilian communities and military bases. During this attack, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals including 766 civilians and 373 security personnel were killed,[lower-alpha 20] while 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive to the Gaza Strip with the stated goal of forcing Israel to release Palestinian prisoners.[152] The attack has been described as a major Israeli intelligence failure.[153] Hamas said its attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, perceived threats to the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the plight of Palestinian refugees and prisoners.[154][155] In response, Israel declared a state of war, tightened its blockade and launched one of the deadliest and most destructive bombing campaigns in modern history,[156][157] before commencing the ground invasion on 27 October with the stated objectives of destroying Hamas and releasing the hostages.[158][159] The Israeli government stated it would control Gaza following the war.[160]
Since the start of the Israeli operation, more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed,[86] including over 14,000 children and 10,000 women.[87][88] Over 10,000 others are missing and presumed trapped under rubble.[96][161][162] According to Israel, their forces have killed an estimated 13,000 Palestinian militants during the conflict,[163] while the militants have killed over 250 Israeli soldiers since the ground offensive began.[164] Nearly all of the strip's 2.3 million population has been internally displaced,[165] as well as hundreds of thousands of Israelis.[166][167] Israel's tightened blockade cut off food, water and medicine, and its attacks on infrastructure have led to a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, including a collapse of the healthcare system and an impending famine, leading to accusations that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war.[168][169][170] By early 2024, Israeli forces had damaged or destroyed more than half of Gaza's houses,[171] at least a third of its tree cover and farmland,[172][173] most of its schools,[174][175] all of its twelve universities,[176] hundreds of cultural landmarks,[177] and dozens of cemeteries.[178] Israel's ground invasion started on 27 October, focusing initially on northern Gaza, including Gaza City. After the expiration of a seven-day truce which involved the release of dozens of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, Israel moved south to attack Khan Yunis on 3 December. By January 2024, Israel reoccupied most of northern Gaza.[179][180][181] Israel's next stated objective is a major offensive in Rafah, despite objections from the international community. On 6 May 2024, Hamas accepted the terms of a ceasefire proposed by Egypt and Qatar, similar to one proposed earlier by Israel and the United States.[182][183] Israel executed airstrikes in Rafah earlier and later the same day, saying they would pressure Hamas, and stating that the deal that Hamas agreed to was not acceptable and that both negotiations and hostilities would continue.[184]
The war has had significant international repercussions. Large protests have occurred across the world, primarily pro-Palestinian ones calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation. Israel's actions have been denounced in the Islamic world and much of the Global South. In December 2023, South Africa launched proceedings at the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel has received significant support from its traditional Western allies, most notably the United States, which has provided Israel extensive military aid throughout the war and has vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire.[185] In response, the self-proclaimed Axis of Resistance has attacked American military bases in the Middle East, while the Yemeni Houthi movement started attacks on commercial ships they alleged were linked to Israel in a stated effort to end the war, incurring a military response from a number of countries led by the United States.[186][187]