Gaza–Israel conflict

Map of the conflict area The Gaza–Israel conflict is an on-going conflict that escalated following Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip and is a component of the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict . Counterintuitively, the conflict increased following Israel's removal of all Israeli civilians and military from Gaza (completed by September 12, 2005). According to the terms of the Disengagement Plan, Israel retained exclusive control over Gaza's airspace, continued to guard and monitor the external land perimeter of the Gaza Strip, with the exception of its southernmost border (where Egypt retained control of the border and border crossings were supervised by European monitors), and continued to monitor and guard Gaza's coastline. Israel largely controls and provides for Gaza's water supply, electricity, and communications infrastructure. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International , by the standards of international law, Israel still remains an Occupying Power . When Islamic party Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election, held January 2006 , gaining a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council , the conflict between Israel and Hamas-dominated Gaza intensified. Immediately following Hamas's victory in the 2006 elections, Israel largely sealed its border with the Gaza Strip, largely preventing the free flow of people, and many imports and exports. Palestinian militants have been shooting Qassam rockets at Israeli settlements located near the Gaza borders, and have staged cross-border raids aimed at killing or capturing Israeli soldiers. In one such raid, on June 25, 2006, Palestinian militants captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit , leading to massive retaliation by the Israeli army which included air strikes against Hamas targets. In June 2007, internal fighting broke out between Hamas and Fatah and Hamas fully consolidated its power by staging an armed coup d'etat and taking control of the Gaza Strip. Following the internecine fighting that occurred between June 7 and June 15, 2007, also known as the Battle of Gaza 2007 in which 118 Palestinians were killed and over 550 were wounded, the entire Gaza Strip came under full control of a Hamas government. As a response to the Hamas takeover, Israel sharply restricted the flow of people and goods into and out of Gaza. About 70% of Gaza's workforce has become unemployed or without pay, and about 80% of its residents live in poverty. At the same time, Palestinian armed groups in Gaza continued firing rockets into Israel, killing several Israeli civilians, including children, and wounding many others. According to Human Rights Watch , these deliberate attacks against civilians violate international humanitarian law. Because Hamas exercises power inside Gaza, it is responsible for stopping unlawful attacks even when carried out by other groups.

Chief of the General Staff . The Gaza–Israel conflict is a part of the wider Israeli–Palestinian conflict . Palestinian militant actions escalated in the Gaza Strip following the overwhelming election to government of the Islamic political party Hamas in 2005 and 2006 . The conflict escalated with the split of the Palestinian Authority to Fatah government in the West Bank and the Hamas Government in Gaza and the following violent ousting of Fatah . Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel and the joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza have exacerbated the conflict. Under its 2005 disengagement plan , Israel retained exclusive control over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters, continued to patrol and monitor the external land perimeter of the Gaza Strip, with the exception of its southernmost border (where Egypt retained control of the border and border crossings were supervised by European monitors) and continued to monitor and blockade Gaza's coastline. Israel largely provides for and controls Gaza's water supply, electricity and communications infrastructure. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International , Israel remains an occupying power under international law. The United Nations has stated that under resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council it regards Gaza to be part of the "Occupied Palestinian Territories". Meanwhile, the Fatah government in the West Bank , officially recognized as the sole representative of the State of Palestine , refers to the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian state and does not recognize the Hamas government, hence avoiding interfering in the conflict. Newsweek . 30 July 2014. : Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= ( help ) "Иран: наше оружие у ХАМАСа сеет страх и ужас среди сионистов" . "Gaza: hopes rise of end to war as Hamas 'optimistic' of deal with Israel" . the Guardian . Big Hamas win in Gaza's election BBC News, 28 January 2005 "Hamas sweeps to election victory" BBC News 26 January 2006 "Rocket and mortar fire into Israel" .

Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict This article is about the broad conflict ongoing since 2006. Chief of the General Staff . The Gaza–Israel conflict is a part of the localized Israeli–Palestinian conflict , but is also a scene of power struggle between regional powers including Egypt , Iran and Turkey together with Qatar , supporting different sides of the conflict in light of the regional standoff between Iran and Saudi Arabia on one hand and between Qatar and Saudi Arabia on the other, as well as crisis in Egyptian-Turkish relations . The conflict originated with the election of the Islamist political party Hamas in 2005 and 2006 , in the Gaza Strip and escalated with the split of the Palestinian Authority Palestinian government into the Fatah government in the West Bank and the Hamas government in Gaza and the following violent ousting of Fatah after Fatah lost the election to Hamas. Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel , Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, and the joint Egyptian-Israeli blockade of Gaza have exacerbated the conflict. The international community considers attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets illegal under international law . As part of its 2005 disengagement plan , Israel retained exclusive control over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters, continued to patrol and monitor the external land perimeter of the Gaza Strip, with the exception of its southernmost border (where Egypt retained control of the border and border crossings were supervised by European monitors) and continued to monitor and blockade Gaza's coastline. Israel largely provides and controls Gaza's water supply, electricity and communications infrastructure. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International , Israel remains an occupying power under international law. The United Nations has stated that under resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council , it regards Gaza to be part of the "Occupied Palestinian Territories". Meanwhile, the Fatah government in the West Bank, internationally recognized as the sole representative of the State of Palestine , refers to the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian state and does not recognize the Hamas government. The Times of Israel . "Gaza: hopes rise of end to war as Hamas 'optimistic' of deal with Israel" . the Guardian . Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977 .

Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict For the ongoing war, see Gaza war . The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when about 200,000 of the more than 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes settled in the Gaza Strip as refugees. Since then, Israel has waged 15 wars in the Gaza Strip. The number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza war (ongoing since 2023) (50,000+) is higher than the death toll of all other wars in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict combined. Israel fought three wars in the Egyptian-administered Gaza Strip: 1948 Palestine War , the first occupation of Gaza during the Suez Crisis , and the capture of Gaza in 1967 . During the first occupation, 1% of Gaza Strip's population was either killed, tortured or imprisoned by Israel. Following two periods of low-level insurgencies, a major conflict between Israelis and Palestinians erupted in the First Intifada . The 1993 Oslo Accords brought a period of calm. But, in 2000 the Second Intifada erupted. Towards the end of the Second Intifada, Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005 , Hamas won the 2006 election and seized control of Gaza in 2007 . In 2007, Israel imposed a land, air and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip , turning it into an "open-air prison". The blockade was widely condemned as a form of collective punishment , while Israel defended it as necessary to stop Palestinian rocket attacks. Hamas considered it a declaration of war. A 2008–2009 Israeli invasion of Gaza resulted in more than 1,000 deaths and widespread destruction of homes, schools and hospitals. A 2012 Israeli operation also killed more than 100 people. In 2014, Israel invaded Gaza in a major war that resulted in the deaths of 73 Israelis (mostly soldiers) and 2,251 Palestinians (mostly civilians). The invasion resulted in "unprecedented" destruction, damaging 25% of homes in Gaza city and 70% of homes in Beit Hanoun . After 2014, notable events in the conflict included the " Great March of Return " (2018–2019) and clashes in November 2018 , May 2019 and November 2019 . The 2021 crisis saw 256 Palestinians and 15 Israelis killed. On 7 October 2023, Palestinian militants attacked Israel , killing 1,143 people (mostly civilians) and beginning the Gaza war. Israel responded by bombing the Gaza Strip and launching an invasion that has killed more than 43,000 Gazans as of November 2024. Israeli and Palestinian deaths preceding the Gaza war . Most were civilians on both sides. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). "‏מפת שליטת כוחות צה"ל ברצועת עזה - 22.06.25" [Map of IDF forces' control in the Gaza Strip - 22.06.25.]. "Liberman accuses Netanyahu of arming ISIS-linked militias in Gaza; PM's office offers no denial" . "NZ can help people fleeing Gaza with emergency family reunification – will the government act?" . The current war in Gaza is known as "Swords of Iron", with the previous 15 wars in the enclave also given code names. "In Palestine poetry escapes prisons" . gulftoday . The New York Times . "A panel of five independent U.N. rights experts [said] the blockade had subjected Gazans to collective punishment in 'flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law.'" "Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories". "This compounded the impact of a 15-year ongoing Israeli blockade that amounts to illegal collective punishment" "Deprived and Endangered: Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip" . "The blockade is a form of collective punishment in violation of international law." "Hamas hardliner Yahya Sinwar elected as Gaza leader" . "Israel and Egypt maintain a blockade around Gaza aimed at preventing attacks by militants there, though the measure has been condemned by rights groups as a form of collective punishment." Abdulrahim, Raja (7 October 2023). The New York Times . "More than 25,000 now killed in Gaza since Israel offensive began, Hamas-run health ministry says – BBC News" . United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – occupied Palestinian territory ( OCHAoPt ) .

Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict For the ongoing war, see Gaza war . The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when about 200,000 of the more than 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes settled in the Gaza Strip as refugees. Since then, Israel and Palestinian militant groups have fought 15 wars in the Gaza Strip. The number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza war (ongoing since 2023) (73,000+) is higher than the combined death toll of all other wars in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Israel fought three wars in the Egyptian-administered Gaza Strip : the 1948 Palestine War , the Suez Crisis during which Israel first occupied Gaza for a period of four months, and the Six-Day War in 1967 during which Israel captured Gaza from Egypt . During the first Israeli occupation, 1% of the Gaza Strip's population was killed, tortured, or imprisoned by Israel. Following two periods of low-level Palestinian insurgency, a major uprising against Israeli rule erupted in 1987, starting a period of unrest known as the First Intifada . The 1993 Oslo Accords brought a period of relative calm which was nevertheless disrupted by various events, including Israeli settler violence , suicide attacks by Palestinian militant groups , the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre , and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin . In 2000, the Second Intifada began. In 2005, towards the end of the Second Intifada, Israel disengaged from Gaza . Shortly thereafter, Hamas won the 2006 election in Gaza and seized control of the Strip in 2007. That same year, Israel imposed a land, air and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip , turning it into an "open-air prison". The blockade was widely condemned as a form of collective punishment , while Israel defended it as necessary to stop Palestinian rocket attacks. Hamas considered it a declaration of war. The 2008–2009 Israeli invasion of Gaza resulted in more than 1,000 deaths and widespread destruction of homes, schools and hospitals. A 2012 Israeli operation also killed more than 100 people. In 2014, Israel invaded Gaza in a major war that resulted in the deaths of 73 Israelis (mostly soldiers) and 2,251 Palestinians (mostly civilians). The invasion resulted in "unprecedented" destruction, damaging 25% of homes in Gaza City and 70% of homes in Beit Hanoun . After 2014, notable events in the conflict included the " Great March of Return " (2018–2019) and clashes in November 2018 , May 2019 and November 2019 . The 2021 crisis saw 256 Palestinians and 15 Israelis killed. On 7 October 2023, Palestinian militants attacked Israel , killing 1,195 people (mostly civilians), committing war crimes , taking hostages , and beginning the Gaza war. Israel responded by bombing the Gaza Strip and launching an invasion . The Israeli military's actions, including war crimes , resulted in a humanitarian crisis and a famine . More than 73,000 Gazans have been killed as of July 2026. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). The Times of Israel . The Times of Israel . The New York Times . Middle East Eye . 3 July 2025 . The Jerusalem Post . 4 October 2025 . "NZ can help people fleeing Gaza with emergency family reunification – will the government act?" . The current war in Gaza is known as "Swords of Iron", with the previous 15 wars in the enclave also given code names. "In Palestine poetry escapes prisons" . gulftoday . The New York Times . "A panel of five independent U.N. rights experts [said] the blockade had subjected Gazans to collective punishment in 'flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law.'" "Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories". "This compounded the impact of a 15-year ongoing Israeli blockade that amounts to illegal collective punishment" "Deprived and Endangered: Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip" . "The blockade is a form of collective punishment in violation of international law." "Hamas hardliner Yahya Sinwar elected as Gaza leader" . "Israel and Egypt maintain a blockade around Gaza aimed at preventing attacks by militants there, though the measure has been condemned by rights groups as a form of collective punishment." Abdulrahim, Raja (7 October 2023).