A premature baby girl, Sabreen Jouda, rescued from her dying mother in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike, has tragically passed away despite medical care in an incubator. The airstrike also claimed the lives of her parents and sister, with more than 34,000 Palestinians reportedly killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict, where the health officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel responded to attacks from Hamas with a ground and air offensive, resulting in casualties on both sides and a significant displacement of Gaza's population.
Doctors in Rafah, Gaza, performed an emergency caesarean section to save a baby from the womb of her mother, Sabreen al-Sakani, who died from head injuries in an Israeli airstrike. The baby, now named Ahmad Fawzi al-Muqayyad, was 30 weeks old. Tragically, the baby's father and sister also died in the attack. The grandmother expressed her intention to care for the orphaned baby. Palestinians in Rafah mourn 22 individuals, including 18 children, killed in airstrikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hints at escalating actions in Rafah against Hamas.
Sabreen Jouda was delivered prematurely after her mother and family were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Gaza's southern city of Rafah. The baby girl is currently in an incubator at an Emirati hospital in Rafah, Gaza Strip. The tragic incident occurred on a Saturday night as the family sought shelter from the ongoing war in the region.
Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which has been ongoing for 200 days, has resulted in the death of at least 34,183 people, mainly women and children. The attacks have devastated Gaza's infrastructure, including destroying or damaging thousands of housing units, schools, mosques, hospitals, and health centres, amounting to over $30 billion in economic losses. Recent shelling and airstrikes have targeted several Gaza neighborhoods, refugee camps, and Hamas positions, causing widespread destruction and suffering in the region.
Israeli strikes in Rafah, Gaza killed 22 people, including 18 children. The US approved a $26 billion aid package for Israel, including $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, on the brink of famine. The conflict has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, displaced 80% of Gaza's population, and sparked regional tensions. In the West Bank, Israeli troops killed two Palestinians, while 14 were killed in an Israeli raid. The war, now in its seventh month, has left thousands dead and wounded, with ongoing hostilities between Israel, Iran, and regional militant groups.
In Gaza's Khan Younis city, displaced families are living in the European hospital's packed corridors, while new tents are being set up nearby. Israeli airstrikes in Rafah killed three people, including two brothers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized pro-Palestinian demonstrations on US college campuses. Aid trucks arrived in Rafah for humanitarian assistance.
The Gaza Strip is experiencing a humanitarian crisis as a result of the Israel–Hamas war. The crisis includes both a famine and a healthcare collapse. At the start of the war, Israel implemented a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in significant shortages of fuel, food, medication, water, and essential medical supplies. This siege resulted in a 90% drop in electricity availability, impacting hospital power supplies, sewage plants, and shutting down the desalination plants that provide drinking water. Widespread disease outbreaks have spread across Gaza.Heavy bombardment by Israeli airstrikes caused catastrophic damage to Gaza’s infrastructure, further deepening the crisis. By mid-November, Israel had dropped the equivalent of two nuclear bombs on Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reported over 4,000 children killed in the war's first month. UN Secretary General António Guterres stated Gaza had "become a graveyard for children."Organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, and a joint statement by UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the UN Development Programme, United Nations Population Fund, and World Food Programme have warned of a dire humanitarian collapse. On November 8, UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk described the Rafah Crossing as "gates to a living nightmare."
GAZA STRIP Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on Gaza overnight, Hamas said on Monday, as the army said it will not be distracted from the fighting after Iran's unprecedented attack heightened fears of a wider conflict. World powers have urged restraint after Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, though the Israeli military said the vast majority were intercepted. Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations said the country's military action against Israel was based on Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the legitimate right to self-defense and in response to the deadly Israeli attack against the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. "Even while under attack from Iran, we have not lost sight, not for one moment, of our critical mission in Gaza" to rescue hostages, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Sunday. As mediators eye a deal to halt the fighting, triggered by Hamas' Oct 7 attack, fears grew over Israeli plans to send troops into Rafah, a far-southern city where the majority of Gaza's 2.
Israeli police have arrested two individuals after a car struck pedestrians in Jerusalem, lightly injuring three ultra-Orthodox Jews. The incident was captured on CCTV footage. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month, has led to increased violence in the West Bank, with 210 bodies found in a Gaza hospital. Tensions between Israel, the U.S., and Iran have escalated, with fears of all-out war. The Israel-Hamas war has resulted in over 34,000 Palestinian deaths, significant destruction in Gaza, and a humanitarian crisis. The U.S. approved a $26 billion aid package, including funds for Gaza's humanitarian assistance and Israel.
On the evening of 27 October 2023, Israel launched a large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip, with the stated goals of eliminating and destroying Hamas, a military and political movement which led an attack against Israel earlier in October, and to free hostages taken by Hamas. Following the attack, Israel declared a state of war, tightened its blockade, ordered the evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip, and launched "Operation Swords of Iron".More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli operation, including over 12,500 children and 7,000 women, with another 7,000 people missing and presumed dead under the rubble of destroyed buildings. By mid-December Israel had dropped 29,000 munitions on Gaza, destroying or damaging 70 percent of homes in the Strip. Experts say that the scale and pace of destruction in Gaza is among the most severe in recent history. During the invasion, Israel destroyed at least a third of Gaza's homes and hundreds of cultural landmarks, and desecrated dozens of cemeteries in the strip.A severe humanitarian crisis has developed, with healthcare in a state of collapse, shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel due to the blockade, electricity and communications blackouts, and the UN warning of potential famine. It was widely reported that there is "no safe place in Gaza" as Israel struck areas it had previously told Palestinians to evacuate to. The widespread civilian deaths have led to accusations of war crimes against both Israel and Hamas. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population have been internally displaced and around 250,000–500,000 Israelis were internally displaced, while thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israel, and Israel has stated it lost 225 additional soldiers in its invasion as of 4 February 2024.As a result of the invasion, South Africa instituted proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), charging that Israel was guilty of committing a genocide, and requesting that the ICJ render provisional measures of protection.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, welcomed the findings of an independent review into the agency's practices, which addressed Israel's allegations of terrorism ties. Students at UC Berkeley protested the Israel-Hamas war and the university's investments in companies doing business with Israel. A baby named Sabreen Alrouh Joudeh was born an orphan after an Israeli airstrike killed her parents and sister.
The Israeli military warned Palestinians not to return to northern Gaza after opening fire and killing five people trying to walk back to their homes following Hamas' attack on southern Israel. Around 300,000 Palestinians in the north are on the brink of famine, amidst flattened areas and restricted aid. Defense Minister Gallant plans an invasion of Rafah, met with objections from the international community and the United States. The conflict has displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million people, with over 33,700 Palestinians killed and 76,200 wounded in bombardments and ground offensives.
The UK warship HMS Diamond used its Sea Viper missile system to intercept a Houthi missile targeting a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least five people, including two children and a journalist. Israel bulldozed mass graves at a Gaza hospital, and four more people died in tank shelling. Over a million people in Gaza have sought refuge as Israel plans a ground offensive. The UN's World Food Programme warns of approaching famine in northern Gaza. Aid delivery risks were highlighted by the accidental killing of World Central Kitchen staff.
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place chiefly in and around the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. After clearing Hamas 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 border. The hostilities constitute the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008 and are part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict. They are considered to be the most significant military escalation in the region since the Yom Kippur War 50 years earlier.The Hamas offensive involved 3,000 militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier and attacking Israeli communities and military bases. During this attack, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, while 253 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive to the Gaza Strip. The attack was proclaimed as a response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, the prospect of Arab–Israeli normalization, and the plight of Palestinian refugees and prisoners. In response, Israel declared a state of war, tightened its existing blockade of Gaza and launched one of the most severe bombing campaigns in history, before commencing the ground invasion on 27 October. Israeli forces laid siege to Gaza City on 2 November and moved south to attack Khan Yunis a month later on 3 December; both sieges remain ongoing. Israel's next objective is the capture of Rafah. An estimated 6,000-12,000 militants have been killed during the conflict, and Israel has lost over 200 soldiers during its invasion. A United Nations resolution calling for a humanitarian pause passed on 15 November; the seven-day truce took effect at the end of that month.A humanitarian crisis has developed in the Gaza Strip, with healthcare in a state of collapse, shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel due to the blockade, electricity and communications blackouts, and potential famine conditions. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, including over 12,300 children and 8,400 women. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population have been internally displaced. The widespread civilian deaths have led to accusations of war crimes against both Israel and Hamas. In February 2024 576,000 people were "facing catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation", stated The United Nations. More than 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops that opened fire when huge crowds raced to pull goods off an aid convoy.The war has had significant international repercussions. Popular protests that primarily call for a ceasefire have occurred across the world. Israel's actions have been denounced by the Islamic world and much of the Global South; South Africa launched an International Court of Justice case alleging that Israel committed genocide. Israel has however received significant support from its traditional Western allies, especially the United States, which vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire. In response, Iran-backed militias have attacked American military bases in the Middle East, while the Yemeni Houthi movement attacked commercial ships they alleged were linked to Israel, incurring a military response from a number of countries.
Israel's Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi informed the wartime cabinet of completing preparations for a ground attack on Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city. The operation is set to begin with evacuating civilians, lasting up to five weeks to move them to safer locations. Despite pressure to call off the invasion, Israel argues it's necessary to crush Hamas, with fears of civilian casualties. Efforts by allies and critics to broker a ceasefire have failed. Egypt's President warned of catastrophic consequences if Israel proceeds, urging alternate means to combat Hamas in Rafah.
After losing her parents and two brothers in an Israeli strike back in January, Ghada Abdo, a 21-year-old university student studying English language and translation in Gaza City, mourns the absence of traditional Eid al-Fitr celebrations this year, expressing the fear of losing loved ones amidst the ongoing conflict. The war in Gaza, which started in October, has left Ghada displaced six times, with at least 33,360 Palestinians killed and 75,993 wounded according to Gaza's health ministry.
The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when 200,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes, settling in the Gaza Strip as refugees. Since then, Israel has fought 15 wars against the Gaza Strip. The number of Gazans killed in the most recent 2023 war — 27,000 — is higher than the death toll of all other wars of the Arab-Israeli conflict.Israel fought four wars against the Egyptian-administered Gaza Strip: 1948 Palestine War, border attacks of 1949–1956, 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 (523 Gazans killed). 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 October 7, 2023, Palestinian militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people (mostly civilians). Israel responded with bombing Gaza Strip and launching an invasion that has killed more than 29,000 Gazans as of February 2024.
Israel has denied accusations of burying Palestinians in a mass grave at a Gaza Strip hospital after over 300 bodies were discovered by Palestinian first responders. Families, like Karima al-Ras, searched for their loved ones among the bodies, with one mother finding her son by his wounds and features. The Hamas-run government accuses Israel of hiding its crimes, while the UN is investigating claims of bodies with bound hands and stripped clothing. Israel's armed forces call the accusations baseless, admitting to removing bodies for inspection and returning them. Satellite imagery shows mass graves during the siege of the hospital.
As of 29 February 2024, over 30,000 people (29,782 Palestinian and 1,410 Israeli) have been killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 88 journalists (83 Palestinian, 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese) and over 136 UNRWA aid workers.On 7 October 2023, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 764 civilians, were killed, and 248 persons taken hostage during the initial attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. Since then, over 29,782 Palestinians (the majority of whom were women and minors) in the Gaza Strip have been killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between combatant and civilian casualties in its reports. The IDF estimated 12,000 Hamas combatants were killed as of 19 February 2024. A further 382 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank by Israel military and settlers. Casualties have also occurred in other parts of Israel, as well as in southern Lebanon, and Syria.
Medics reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah on Thursday that hit at least three houses Israel launched more airstrikes on Rafah despite allies' warnings this could cause mass casualties. Medics in the besieged Palestinian enclave reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah on Thursday that hit at least three houses, killing at least six people including a local journalist. Israeli forces also resumed bombarding northern and central areas of the enclave, as well as east of Khan Younis in the south. Hamas said that Israel would fail to meet its stated goal of defeating the Palestinian group by invading Rafah. "Even if (Israel) enters and invades Rafah, it will not achieve what it wants," senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told the news agency AFP.
Israeli military intelligence chief, Major General Aharon Haliva, resigned over failures leading up to Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th. He admitted that his directorate did not meet expectations, marking the deadliest assault in Israel's history. The attack saw hundreds of Hamas gunmen breach the Gaza border fence, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 253 hostages taken to Gaza. Israel responded with a large-scale war to destroy Hamas. About 34,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in the conflict according to Gaza's health ministry.
The Gaza War, also known as Operation Cast Lead (Hebrew: מִבְצָע עוֹפֶרֶת יְצוּקָה), also known as the Gaza Massacre (Arabic: مجزرة غزة), and referred to as the Battle of al-Furqan (معركة الفرقان) by Hamas, was a three-week armed conflict between Gaza Strip Palestinian paramilitary groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that began on 27 December 2008 and ended on 18 January 2009 with a unilateral ceasefire. The conflict resulted in 1,166–1,417 Palestinian and 13 Israeli deaths. Over 46,000 homes were destroyed in Gaza, making more than 100,000 people homeless.A six month long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended on 4 November, when the IDF made a raid into Deir al-Balah, central Gaza to destroy a tunnel, killing several Hamas militants. Israel said the raid was a preemptive strike and Hamas intended to abduct further Israeli soldiers, while Hamas characterized it as a ceasefire violation, and responded with rocket fire into Israel. Attempts to renew a truce between Israel and Hamas were unsuccessful. On December 27, Israel began Operation Cast Lead with the stated aim of stopping rocket fire. In the initial air assault, Israel attacked police stations, military targets including weapons caches and suspected rocket firing teams, as well as political and administrative institutions, striking in the densely populated cities of Gaza, Khan Yunis and Rafah. After hostilities broke out, Palestinian groups fired rockets in retaliation for the aerial bombardments and attacks. The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets as illegal under international law.An Israeli ground invasion began on 3 January. On 5 January, the IDF began operating in the densely populated urban centers of Gaza. During the last week of the offensive (from 12 January), Israel mostly hit targets it had damaged before and struck Palestinian rocket-launching units. Hamas intensified its rocket and mortar attacks against mostly civilian targets in southern Israel, reaching the major cities of Beersheba and Ashdod for the first time during the conflict. Israeli politicians ultimately decided against striking deeper within Gaza amid concerns of higher casualties on both sides and rising international criticism. The conflict ended on 18 January, when the IDF first declared a unilateral ceasefire, followed by Hamas' announcing a one-week ceasefire twelve hours later. The IDF completed its withdrawal on 21 January.In September 2009, a UN special mission, headed by the South African Justice Richard Goldstone, produced a report accusing both Palestinian militants and the Israeli army of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, and recommended bringing those responsible to justice. In 2011, Goldstone wrote that he does not believe that Israel intentionally targeted civilians in Gaza as a matter of explicit policy. The other authors of the report, Hina Jilani, Christine Chinkin, and Desmond Travers, stated that no new evidence had been gathered that disputed the report's findings. The United Nations Human Rights Council ordered Israel to conduct various repairs of the damages. On 21 September 2012, the United Nations Human Rights Council concluded that 75% of civilian homes destroyed in the attack were not rebuilt.
The EU has urged international donors to resume funding for Gaza's largest UN agency, UNRWA, following a review that found Israel had not provided evidence for its claim that thousands of UNRWA staff were members of terror groups. Several nations halted funding due to allegations of staff involvement in Hamas attacks. The US is withholding aid until UNRWA shows "real progress." EU and Norway support UNRWA, while the US and UK have not resumed funding. Israel accuses UNRWA staff of terror links, but a UN review found no supporting evidence. The US warns of a high famine risk in Gaza.
The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge (Hebrew: מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן, romanized: Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan, lit. 'Operation Strong Cliff'), and Battle of the Withered Grain (Arabic: معركة العصف المائكول, romanized: Mʿa-rakkat Al-ʿasf Al-Ma’kool) was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory that has been governed by Hamas since 2007. Following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank by Hamas-affiliated Palestinian militants, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated Operation Brother's Keeper, in which some 350 Palestinians, including nearly all of the active Hamas militants in the West Bank, were arrested. Hamas subsequently fired a greater number of rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, triggering a seven-week-long conflict between the two sides. It was one of the deadliest outbreaks of open conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in decades. The combination of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes resulted in over two thousand deaths, the vast majority of which were Gazan Palestinians. This includes a total of six Israeli civilians who were killed as a result of the conflict.The Israeli military operation aimed to stop rocket fire into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Conversely, Hamas' attacks aimed to bring international pressure onto Israel with the strategic goal of forcing the latter to lift the Israeli–Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip; among its other goals were to end Israel's military offensive, obtain a third party to monitor and guarantee compliance with a ceasefire, release Palestinian political prisoners and overcome its isolation. According to the BBC, Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in retaliation to the rocket attacks by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other Palestinian militant groups.On 7 July, after seven Hamas militants died in a tunnel explosion in Khan Yunis that was caused either by an Israeli airstrike (per Hamas, Nathan Thrall, BBC, and a senior IDF official) or an accidental explosion of their own munitions (per the IDF), Hamas assumed responsibility for rockets fired into Israel, and subsequently launched 40 more rockets towards Israel. The Israeli aerial operation officially began the following day, and on 17 July, it was expanded to include a full-scale ground invasion of the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of destroying Gaza's tunnel system; the Israeli ground invasion ended on 5 August. On 26 August, an open-ended ceasefire was announced. By this time, the IDF reported that Hamas, PIJ, and other Palestinian militant groups had fired 4,564 rockets and mortars into Israel, with over 735 projectiles having been intercepted mid-flight and shot down by Israel's Iron Dome. Most Gazan mortar and rocket fire was inaccurate, and consequently hit open land; more than 280 projectiles had landed within the Gaza Strip, and 224 had struck residential areas. Palestinian rocketry also killed 13 Palestinian civilians in Gaza, 11 of them children. The IDF attacked 5,263 targets in the Gaza Strip; at least 34 known tunnels were destroyed and two-thirds of Hamas's 10,000-rocket arsenal was either used up or destroyed.Between 2,125 and 2,310 Gazans were killed during the conflict while between 10,626 and 10,895 were wounded (including 3,374 children, of whom over 1,000 were left permanently disabled). Gazan civilian casualty estimates range between 70 percent by the Gaza Health Ministry, 65 percent by the United Nations' (UN) Protection Cluster by OCHA (based in part on Gaza Health Ministry reports), and 36 percent by Israeli officials. The UN estimated that more than 7,000 homes for 10,000 families were razed, together with an additional 89,000 homes damaged, of which roughly 10,000 were severely affected by the bombing. Rebuilding costs were calculated to run from US$4–6 billion over the course of 20 years. 67 Israeli soldiers, 5 Israeli civilians (including one child) and one Thai civilian were killed while 469 Israeli soldiers and 261 Israeli civilians were injured. On the Israeli side, the economic impact of the operation is estimated to have had an impact of NIS 8.5 billion (approximately US$2.5 billion) and a GDP loss of 0.4 percent.
Over 300 bodies have been discovered in mass graves at the Nasser Medical Complex and al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza after Israeli forces withdrew in early April. The UN has called for a transparent investigation. The mass graves are a result of Israels offensive following Hamas attacks, with over 34,000 Palestinians killed. The bodies recovered include women, children, patients, and medical staff, with reports of mass killings and arrests. Access to cemeteries was prevented due to the siege, leading to temporary graves inside the hospitals.
On 7 October 2023, the paramilitary wings of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, PRC, PFLP and DFLP launched a series of coordinated armed incursions into the Gaza envelope of neighboring Israel, the first invasion of Israeli home territory since the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. The attacks, on a Saturday, initiated the Israel–Hamas war, almost exactly 50 years after Operation Badr and the greater Yom Kippur War of 6 October 1973. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups named the attacks Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (or Deluge; Arabic: عملية طوفان الأقصى, romanized: ʿamaliyyat ṭūfān al-ʾAqṣā, usually romanised as "Tufan Al-Aqsa" or "Toofan Al-Aqsa"), while in Israel they are referred to as Black Saturday (Hebrew: השבת השחורה) or the Simchat Torah Massacre (הטבח בשמחת תורה), and internationally as the 7 October attack.The attacks began in the early morning with a rocket barrage of at least 3,000 rockets launched against Israel and vehicle-transported and powered paraglider incursions into Israel. Hamas fighters breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and massacring civilians in neighboring Israeli communities, including in Be'eri, Kfar Aza, and Nir Oz, and at the Nova music festival. The attacks resulted in 1,139 deaths—695 Israeli civilians (including 36 children), 71 foreign nationals, and 373 members of the security forces. Approximately 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip, including 30 children, with the stated goal to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. Numerous accounts of rape and sexual assault by Hamas fighters have been reported, which Hamas has denied.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, rising Israeli settler violence, and recent escalations.At least 44 countries denounced the attack as terrorism, while some Arab and Muslim countries blamed Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories as the root cause of the attack. The day was labeled the bloodiest in Israel's history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust.
On 13 April 2024, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran, in coordination with the Popular Mobilization Forces of Iraq, Lebanese group Hezbollah, and the Houthis of Yemen, launched attacks on Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, with drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles. The retaliatory attacks, codenamed Operation True Promise (Persian: وعده صادق, romanized: va'de-ye sādeq), were launched in response to the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus on 1 April that killed 16 people. It was Iran's first direct attack on Israel and the first direct conflict since the start of the Iran–Israel proxy war.Iran launched a massive standoff attack on Israel on 13 April 2024 with about 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles. 99 percent were shot down by defensive measures, most before entering Israeli airspace. Only a few missiles were not downed; one caused minor damage to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, which remained operational. Israel used Arrow 3 and David's Sling systems to shoot down the incoming weapons; the United States, the United Kingdom, and Jordan also used their own forces to down Iranian drones. France deployed its navy.The IRGC's Tasnim News Agency said the downed drones were "kamikaze" Shahed 136 drones meant to saturate and overwhelm Israeli air defenses to clear the way for dozens of ballistic missiles in the second wave, which damaged the bases used in the attack on the Iranian consulate.Jordan reported some shrapnel falling on its territory, causing no significant damage or injuries. In Israel, one child, a 7-year old Israeli Bedouin girl, was struck and injured by part of a missile. Thirty-one other people suffered either minor injuries while rushing to protected areas or were treated for anxiety. The next day, Iran's envoy to the United Nations said that the attacks "can be deemed concluded".The attack was the biggest drone strike to date and the first time since 1991 that Israel itself was attacked by the military of a UN member state.Iran's attacks have drawn criticism from the United Nations, several world leaders, and political analysts, who warned that they risk escalating into a full-blown regional war.
Mass graves containing 392 bodies, including those of women, children, and the elderly, were found in Gaza hospitals, with some victims possibly buried alive or executed by the Israeli military. Palestinian Civil Defence officials revealed details of the mass graves at the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals, with signs of torture and executions. Only 65 bodies out of 392 have been identified due to decomposition and mutilation. Calls for international pressure to stop the aggression and for independent investigations into the deaths have been made.
The Fatah–Hamas conflict (Arabic: النزاع بين فتح وحماس, romanized: an-Nizāʿ bayna Fataḥ wa-Ḥamās) is an ongoing political and strategic conflict between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political parties in the Palestinian territories, leading to the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007. The reconciliation process and unification of Hamas and Fatah administrations remains unfinalized and the situation is deemed a frozen conflict.The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights has found that over 600 Palestinians were killed in the fighting from January 2006 to May 2007. Dozens more were killed or executed in the following years as part of the conflict.
At least 14 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm. The Israeli army reported killing 10 militants, while Palestinian sources noted civilian casualties and injuries. The raid caused infrastructure damage, with reports of power outages and food shortages in the camp. Violence has been escalating in the West Bank since the Israel-Gaza war started on October 7. The conflict has resulted in over 480 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank, with clashes also occurring between settlers and Palestinians.
Israel has stationed more than 800 military vehicles at bases near Gaza, with 120 vehicles at the northern border and 700 in the Negev desert. The satellite imagery shows nine military outposts setup outside the enclave, supporting the indication of Israel's intention to continue the war on Gaza. The conflict, initiated after Hamas' attack in October, has led to the deaths of nearly 35,000 Palestinians with Israel planning to focus on Gaza despite withdrawing forces recently. Experts suggest Israel will prioritize dealing with Gaza before shifting attention to other threats like Hezbollah or Iran.
On 7 October 2023, as part of the Hamas-led attack on Israel at the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups abducted 253 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and elderly people. In addition to hostages with only Israeli citizenship, almost half of the hostages are foreign nationals or have multiple citizenships. The precise ratio of soldiers and civilians among the captives is unknown. The captives are likely being held in different locations in the Gaza Strip.As of February 14, 2024, 112 hostages were returned alive to Israel, with 105 being released in a prisoner exchange deal, 4 were released by Hamas unilaterally and 3 hostages were rescued by the IDF. 11 bodies of hostages were repatriated to Israel, with 3 of the hostages killed by friendly fire from the IDF and the bodies of 8 hostages repatriated through military operations. 32 hostages were reportedly killed in Hamas captivity according to Israel. According to unconfirmed Israeli intelligence, at least 20 additional hostages may be deceased, with their bodies being held captive in Gaza. As of February 14, 2024, 134 hostages remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip, with 130 hostages abducted on October 7, 2023 and four hostages having been captured earlier.Hamas has offered to release all hostages in exchange for Israel releasing all Palestinian prisoners. By October 2023, Israel held 5,200 Palestinians (including 170 juveniles) in its prisons. Hamas stated its objective was to secure their release. Several countries have been involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Qatar taking the lead.On 22 November 2023, Israel and Hamas agreed to the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners and a four-day cease-fire in exchange for Hamas's release of approximately 50 of the hostages. The exchange involved hostages from the categories of women and children. As of 30 November 2023, the last day of the ceasefire, 105 civilian hostages had been released, which included 81 people from Israel, 23 Thais and one Filipino. On 12 February 2024, two Argentinian-Israeli civilians were rescued in Operation Golden Hand. As of January 2024, according to Israeli information, Hamas holds 108 hostages alive and 24 bodies.
The Gaza Strip ( ; Arabic: قِطَاعُ غَزَّةَ Qiṭāʿ Ġazzah [qɪˈtˤɑːʕ ˈɣaz.za]), or simply Gaza, is a polity and the smaller of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the West Bank). On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north.The territory came into being when it was controlled by Egypt during the 1948 Arab–Israeli war, and became a refuge for Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestine war. Later, during the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured and occupied the Gaza Strip, initiating its decades-long military occupation of the Palestinian territories. The mid-1990s Oslo Accords established the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a limited governing authority, initially led by the secular party Fatah until that party's electoral defeat in 2006 to the Sunni Islamic Hamas. Hamas would then take over the governance of Gaza in a battle the next year, subsequently warring with Israel.In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its military forces from Gaza, dismantled its settlements, and implemented a temporary blockade of Gaza. The blockade became indefinite after the 2007 Hamas takeover, supported by Egypt through restrictions on its land border with Gaza. Despite the Israeli disengagement, the United Nations (UN), the International Committee of the Red Cross, and many human-rights organizations continue to consider Gaza to be held under Israeli military occupation, due to what they consider Israel's effective military control over the territory; Israel disputes that it occupies the territory. The land, sea, and air blockade prevents people and goods from freely entering or leaving the territory, leading to Gaza often being called an "open-air prison." The UN, as well as at least 19 human-rights organizations, have urged Israel to lift the blockade. Israel has justified its blockade on the strip with wanting to stop flow of arms, but Palestinians and rights groups say it amounts to collective punishment and exacerbates dire living conditions.The Gaza Strip is 41 kilometres (25 miles) long, from 6 to 12 km (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide, and has a total area of 365 km2 (141 sq mi). With around 2 million Palestinians on approximately 365 km2 (141 sq mi) of land, Gaza has one of the world's highest population densities. More than 70% of Gaza's population are refugees or descendents of refugees, half of whom are under the age of 18. Sunni Muslims make up most of Gaza's population, with a Palestinian Christian minority. Gaza has an annual population growth rate of 1.99% (2023 est.), the 39th-highest in the world. Gaza's unemployment rate is among the highest in the world, with an overall unemployment rate of 46% and a youth unemployment rate of 70%. The population has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Gaza has throughout the years been seen as a source of Palestinian nationalism and resistance.
Gaza ( GAH-zə; Arabic: غَزَّة, romanized: Ġazzah, IPA: [ˈɣazza] ), also called Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Before the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, it was the most populous city in the State of Palestine, with 590,481 in 2017.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BCE, Gaza has been dominated by different peoples and empires throughout its history. The Philistines made it a part of their pentapolis after the ancient Egyptians had ruled it for nearly 350 years. Under the Roman Empire, Gaza experienced relative peace and its Mediterranean port flourished. In 635 CE, it became the first city in the Palestine region to be conquered by the Rashidun army and quickly developed into a centre of Islamic law. However, by the time the Crusader states were established in 1099, Gaza was in ruins. In later centuries, Gaza experienced several hardships—from Mongol raids to severe flooding and locust swarms, reducing it to a village by the 16th century, when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. During the first half of Ottoman rule, the Ridwan dynasty controlled Gaza and the city went through an age of great commerce and peace. The municipality of Gaza was established in 1893.Gaza fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of Mandatory Palestine. As a result of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip territory and several improvements were undertaken in the city. Gaza was occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, and in 1993, the city was transferred to the newly created Palestinian National Authority. In the months following the 2006 election, an armed conflict broke out between the Palestinian political factions of Fatah and Hamas, resulting in the latter taking power in Gaza. The Gaza Strip was then subject to an Israeli-led, Egyptian-supported blockade. Israel eased the blockade allowing consumer goods in June 2010, and Egypt reopened the Rafah Border Crossing in 2011 to pedestrians.The primary economic activities of Gaza are small-scale industries and agriculture. However, the blockade and recurring conflicts have put the economy under severe pressure. The majority of Gaza's Palestinian inhabitants are Muslim, although there is also a Christian minority. Gaza has a very young population, with roughly 75% under the age of 25. The city is currently administered by a 14-member municipal council.As of March 2024, as part of the Israel–Hamas war, the Israeli army has bombed large portions of the city and surrounding areas of the Northern Gaza Strip, destroying many buildings and infrastructure. Almost all residents have fled or been evacuated to Southern Gaza, or killed as a result. Therefore, previous recorded or estimated population numbers have become outdated.
Israel is preparing for a military offensive in the city of Rafah in Gaza to defeat Hamas and search for hostages, with reports of new tent encampments and preparations to evacuate over a million war-displaced Palestinians. The US insists on a plan to protect civilians before any offensive. The war, with over 34,000 casualties, has seen Israel taking control of much of Gaza. The offensive in Rafah, postponed due to disputes with the US, is expected to happen soon. Israeli media reports that troops are ready for the operation.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacking the Israeli ship MSC Darwin in the Gulf of Aden with naval missiles and drones, as well as launching missiles toward the Israeli city of Eilat. This attack comes amidst Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The rebels have targeted ships in the region, with the latest attack being near Aden. The U.S. military and European Union forces have intercepted Houthi missiles, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the area.
Hamas, an acronym of its official name, Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Arabic: حركة المقاومة الإسلامية, romanized: Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah, lit. 'Islamic Resistance Movement'), is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist political and military movement governing parts of the occupied Gaza Strip.Hamas was founded by Palestinian imam and activist Ahmed Yassin in 1987, after the outbreak of the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation. It emerged from his 1973 Mujama al-Islamiya Islamic charity affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election by campaigning on Palestinian armed resistance against the Israeli occupation, thus securing a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council. In 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip from rival Palestinian faction Fatah, which it has governed since separately from the Palestinian National Authority. This was followed by an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip with Egyptian support, and multiple wars with Israel, including in 2008–09, 2012, 2014, and 2021. The ongoing 2023 war began after Hamas launched an attack, killing both civilians and soldiers, and taking hostages back to Gaza. The attack has been described as the biggest military setback for Israel since the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, which Israel has responded to in an ongoing ground invasion of Gaza.Hamas promotes Palestinian nationalism in an Islamic context. While initially seeking a state in all of Mandatory Palestine, Hamas began acquiescing to 1967 borders in the agreements it signed with Fatah in 2005, 2006 and 2007 In 2017, Hamas released a new charter that supported a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders without recognizing Israel. Hamas's repeated offers of a truce (for a period of 10–100 years) based on the 1967 borders are seen by many as consistent with a two-state solution, while others say that Hamas retains the long-term objective of establishing one state in former Mandatory Palestine. The 1988 Hamas charter was widely described as antisemitic. The revised 2017 Hamas Charter stated that Hamas's struggle was with Zionists, not Jews. Hamas is widely popular in Palestinian society largely due to its anti-Israeli stance.Hamas has carried out attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, including suicide bombings and indiscriminate rocket attacks. These actions have led human rights groups to accuse it of war crimes, and Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Paraguay, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. In 2018, a motion at the United Nations to condemn Hamas was rejected.
Since the start of the Israel–Hamas war on 7 October 2023, the UN Human Rights Council has identified "clear evidence" of war crimes by both Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces. A UN Commission to the Israel–Palestine conflict stated that there is "clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed in the latest explosion of violence in Israel and Gaza, and all those who have violated international law and targeted civilians must be held accountable." On 27 October, a spokesperson for the OHCHR called for an independent court to review potential war crimes committed by both sides.The International Criminal Court confirmed that its mandate to investigate alleged war crimes committed since June 2014 in the State of Palestine extends to the current conflict.
The United States is contemplating imposing sanctions on the Israeli battalion, Netzah Yehuda, accused of human rights violations in the West Bank. Reports suggest one or more Israeli battalions could be affected, but there is uncertainty as Israeli leaders may prevent the sanctions. Pressure from the US followed Israel's recent aid approval, amidst ongoing conflict with Gaza. Instances of abuse, including the death of a Palestinian American in the unit's custody, have fueled the debate. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Benny Gantz have opposed potential sanctions on the contentious battalion.
Western nations, including the United States and the European Union, are contemplating imposing fresh sanctions on Iran following its recent attack on Israel. The Israel-Gaza war has led to significant displacement and humanitarian crises in the region, with Israel engaging in a ground invasion against Hamas. Despite historical complexities in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, efforts are focused on achieving a permanent cease-fire. Israel is strategizing its response to Iran's missile and drone attacks, with concerns about potential escalation and the impact on Gaza's situation.
Israel's planned invasion of Rafah might be delayed as Hamas released a video of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polinn, pushing the Israeli Defense Forces to focus on rescuing hostages instead of the assault. The video, showing Hersh appealing for a deal between Israel and Hamas, aims to increase public pressure for a ceasefire. Despite efforts to negotiate a deal, Israel has faced rejections, leading to the decision to proceed with the invasion in Rafah to eliminate Hamas. The release of the hostage video is seen as a tactic by Hamas to divert attention from the Rafah offensive and prioritize hostage rescue.
The US is reportedly planning to impose sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda battalion of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for alleged human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly denounced the move, stating that the IDF must not be sanctioned. The Biden administration's potential sanctions mark the first time the US would sanction a military unit operated by Israel, leading to tensions between the two countries. Additionally, the US recently imposed sanctions on an ally of Israels national security minister and two entities linked to settler violence.
On 7 October 2023, a large escalation of the Gaza–Israel conflict began with a coordinated offensive by multiple Palestinian militant groups against Israel. A number of countries, including many of Israel's Western allies, such as the United States and a number of European countries, condemned the attacks by Hamas, expressed solidarity for Israel and stated that Israel has a right to defend itself from armed attacks, while countries of the Muslim world (including the Axis of Resistance) have expressed support for the Palestinians, blaming the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories as being the root cause for the escalation of violence. The events prompted several world leaders to announce their intention to visit Israel, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.Numerous countries called for a ceasefire and de-escalation. International organizations, student organizations, charities, ecumenical Christian organizations, and Jewish and Islamic groups commented on the situation. On 27 October 2023, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce and cessation of hostilities, adopted by a vote of 121 states to 14, with 44 abstentions. As of 6 November 2023, Bolivia has severed diplomatic relations with Israel, while Bahrain, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Jordan, South Africa and Turkey have recalled their ambassadors from Israel, citing Israeli actions during the war.
The United States and 17 other countries have demanded Hamas release all hostages it holds in Gaza, including citizens from several nations. The leaders are calling for a cease-fire deal that would lead to the immediate release of hostages, bringing humanitarian assistance to Gaza and ending hostilities. The proposal involves releasing sick, elderly, and wounded hostages in exchange for a six-week cease-fire, with Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. acting as intermediaries in the negotiations.
Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia University express feeling unsafe on campus due to anti-Israel and antisemitic protests, with incidents of violence reported. Columbia University President shifted to online learning in response to campus unrest. Recent events stem from Hamas' attack in 2023, leading to arrests of anti-Israel protesters at various U.S. universities including Columbia, USC, UT Austin, and Yale.
Students at Columbia University in the US have demanded divestment from Israel and action against Israeli strikes in Gaza, with over 34,000 casualties. Arrests have occurred, with tension between protesters and authorities. President Shafik called for student arrests and police presence is heavy on campus. Professors supported students against arrests. Pro-Israel students also demonstrated. Calls were made for security and peaceful coexistence.
PEN America called off its annual awards ceremony due to backlash over its handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The cancellation was a result of numerous nominees withdrawing from the event, citing dissatisfaction with PEN's response. Tensions over the war have led to protests and blockades across the U.S., with authors criticizing PEN for allegedly favoring Israel. The organization's failure to support Palestinians and uphold its mission of promoting peace and equality has sparked controversy within the literary community.
Hamas released a hostage video showing American-Israeli man, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was kidnapped in October 2023. This is the first public appearance of Goldberg-Polin since the attack. In the video, he describes the dangers he faced during the attack and criticizes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Goldberg-Polin also alleges that other hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
The Arab–Israeli conflict is the phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between various Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century. The roots of the Arab–Israeli conflict have been attributed to the support by Arab League member countries for the Palestinians, a fellow League member, in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict; this in turn has been attributed to the simultaneous rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism towards the end of the 19th century, though the two national movements had not clashed until the 1920s.Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict arose from the conflicting claims by these movements to the land that formed the British Mandatory Palestine, which was regarded by the Jewish people as their ancestral homeland, while at the same time it was regarded by the Pan-Arab movement as historically and currently belonging to the Arab Palestinians, and in the Pan-Islamic context, as Muslim lands. The sectarian conflict within the British Mandate territory between Palestinian Jews and Arabs escalated into a full-scale Palestinian civil war in 1947. Taking the side of the Palestinian Arabs, especially following the Israeli Declaration of Independence, the neighbouring Arab countries invaded the by-then former Mandate territory in May 1948, commencing the First Arab–Israeli War. Large-scale hostilities mostly ended with ceasefire agreements after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Peace agreements were signed between Israel and Egypt in 1979, resulting in Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and the abolition of the military governance system in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in favor of Israeli Civil Administration and consequent unilateral annexation of the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.The nature of the conflict has shifted over the years from the large-scale, regional Arab–Israeli conflict to a more local Israeli–Palestinian conflict, which peaked during the 1982 Lebanon War when Israel intervened in the Lebanese Civil War to oust the Palestinian Liberation Organization from Lebanon. With the decline of the 1987–1993 First Intifada, the interim Oslo Accords led to the creation of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994, within the context of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. The same year, Israel and Jordan reached a peace accord. In 2002, the Arab League offered recognition of Israel by Arab countries as part of the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in the Arab Peace Initiative. The initiative, which has been reconfirmed since, calls for normalizing relations between the Arab League and Israel, in exchange for a full withdrawal by Israel from the occupied territories (including East Jerusalem) and a "just settlement" of the Palestinian refugee problem based on UN Resolution 194. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a ceasefire had been largely maintained between Israel and Syria, while limited warfare continued in Lebanon against Iranian proxy militias. Despite the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, the interim peace accords with the Palestinian Authority and the generally existing ceasefire, until the mid-2010s the Arab League and Israel had remained at odds with each other over many issues. Among Arab belligerents in the conflict, Iraq and Syria are the only states who have reached no formal peace accord or treaty with Israel, with both supporting Iran.The Syrian civil war reshuffled the situation near Israel's northern border, putting the Syrian Arab Republic, Hezbollah and the Syrian opposition at odds with each other and complicating their relations with Israel, upon the emerging warfare with Iran. The conflict between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza, is also attributed to the Iran–Israel proxy conflict. By 2017, Israel and several Arab Sunni states led by Saudi Arabia formed a semi-official coalition to confront Iran. This move and the Israeli normalization with Gulf states was marked by some as the fading of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
An Egyptian delegation is scheduled to travel to Israel to initiate new ceasefire discussions following stalled talks mediated by Qatar, the US, and Egypt. Israel plans to continue a military operation in Rafah despite international concerns for the Palestinians in the area. The US and 17 other countries are urging Hamas to release hostages in exchange for an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza.
Rep Ilhan Omar's daughter, Isra Hirsi, stated on MSNBC that she and fellow protesters faced 'physical harm' from counter-protesters spraying 'chemical weapons' at Columbia University during anti-Israel protests related to Gaza's military operations. Hirsi was suspended from Barnard College for participating in the protests and arrested by the NYPD for trespassing. She highlighted the perceived targeting of student activists supporting Palestinians and criticized the lack of disciplinary actions against counter-protesters. The protests at Columbia University have intensified, with prominent figures like Susan Sarandon joining the anti-Israel demonstrations.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict in the Levant. Beginning in the mid-20th century, it is one of the world's longest-continuing conflicts. Key areas of the conflict include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security, water rights, Palestinian freedom of movement, and the Palestinian right of return.The conflict has its origins in the arrival of Jewish immigrants and settlers to Palestine in the late 19th and 20th centuries and the advent of the Zionist movement. The local Arab population opposed Zionism, primarily out of fear of territorial displacement and dispossession. The Zionist movement garnered the support of an imperial power in the 1917 Balfour Declaration issued by Britain, which promised to support the creation of a "Jewish homeland in Palestine". Following World War I, Mandatory Palestine was established, and tensions grew into open sectarian conflict between Jews and Arabs. In 1936, an Arab revolt erupted demanding independence, which the British suppressed.The 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine triggered the 1948 Palestine war, which saw the expulsion and flight of most Palestinian Arabs, the establishment of Israel on most of the Mandate's territory, and the control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank by Egypt and Jordan, respectively. In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (which became known as the Palestinian territories), which is now considered to be the longest military occupation in modern history, and has drawn international condemnation for violating the human rights of the Palestinians.The conflict has claimed many civilian casualties, mostly Palestinian, since its inception. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside efforts to resolve the broader Arab–Israeli conflict. Progress towards a negotiated solution between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was made with the Oslo Accords of 1993–1995. The majority of recent peace efforts have been centred around the two-state solution, which involves the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Public support for a two-state solution, which formerly enjoyed support from both Israeli Jews and Palestinians, has dwindled in recent years. Official negotiations are mediated by the Quartet on the Middle East, which consists of the United Nations, the United States, Russia, and the European Union. The Arab League, which has proposed the Arab Peace Initiative, is another important actor, along with Egypt and Jordan. Since 2006, the Palestinian side has been split between Fatah dominating the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas that gained control of the Gaza Strip. Attempts to remedy this have been repeated and continuing. Since 2019, the Israeli side has also been experiencing political crisis. The latest round of peace negotiations began in July 2013 but were suspended in 2014. Since 2006, Hamas and Israel have fought five wars, the most recent of which began in 2023 and is ongoing as of March 2024.
Pro-Palestinian protests have escalated at universities across the United States, with demonstrations at Columbia University resulting in arrests, leading House Speaker Mike Johnson to suggest bringing in the National Guard if the protests are not contained quickly. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has condemned the protests, equating them to anti-Jewish rallies in Germany. University campuses have become a focal point for protests against Israel's actions in Gaza, with calls for divestment from companies linked to Israel, while Jewish students express concerns about rising anti-Semitism.
The US military is constructing a large floating pier off Gaza's coast to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, with ships delivering aid from Cyprus to the pier for transport across Gaza via trucks. President Joe Biden announced the plan to combat hunger exacerbated by aid delivery challenges amid Israel's military actions against Hamas. The UN warns of an impending famine in Gaza. Over 1,000 US troops will be involved in the project, set to be operational by early May, with a British naval vessel serving as accommodation offshore.
The History of Hamas is an account of the Palestinian Islamist fundamentalist socio-political organization with an associated paramilitary force, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas (حماس) Ḥamās is an acronym of حركة المقاومة الاسلامية Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamat al-Islāmiyyah, meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement".Hamas was established in 1987, and has its origins in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement, which had been active in the Gaza Strip since the 1950s and gained influence through a network of mosques and various charitable and social organizations. In the 1980s the Brotherhood emerged as a powerful political factor, challenging the influence of the PLO, and in 1987 adopted a more nationalist and activist line under the name of Hamas. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the organization conducted numerous suicide bombings and other attacks against Israel.In the Palestinian legislative election of January 2006, Hamas gained a large majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament, defeating the ruling Fatah party. After the elections, conflicts arose between Hamas and Fatah, which they were unable to resolve. In June 2007, Hamas defeated Fatah in a series of violent clashes, and since that time Hamas has governed the Gaza portion of the Palestinian Territories, while at the same time they were ousted from government positions in the West Bank. Israel and Egypt then imposed an economic blockade on Gaza and largely sealed their borders with the territory.After acquiring control of Gaza, Hamas-affiliated and other militias launched rocket attacks upon Israel, which Hamas ceased in June 2008 following an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. The ceasefire broke down late in 2008, with each side accusing the other of responsibility. In late December 2008, Israel attacked Gaza, withdrawing its forces in mid-January 2009.
{{User:RMCD bot/subject notice|1=2024 Iranian consulate airstrike in Damascus|2=Talk:2024 Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus#Requested move 2 April 2024}On 1 April 2024, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Iranian consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, killing 14 people, including a senior Quds Force commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and seven other IRGC officers.The airstrike occurred at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, and amid the formers war with Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran has vowed revenge for the attack.
Pope Francis urged an end to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, emphasizing the importance of negotiation and peace over prolonged war. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in significant civilian casualties and displacements, while the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza has led to severe food shortages and suffering. The pontiff expressed concern for the children affected by these wars, highlighting their loss of joy. He has actively reached out to individuals in Gaza and emphasized the role of prayer in seeking peace. The Vatican will host the first World Children's Day, focusing on creating a better future for children globally.
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. It formally began following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had been issued earlier that day, and a military coalition of Arab states entered the territory of Mandatory Palestine in the morning of 15 May.The day after the 29 November 1947 adoption of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine – which planned to divide the territory into an Arab state, a Jewish state, and the Special International Regime encompassing the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem – a civil war began. There had been tension and conflict between Arabs, Jews, and the British since the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the 1920 creation of the British Mandate of Palestine. British policies dissatisfied both Arabs and Jews. Arab opposition developed into the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, while the Jewish opposition developed into the 1944–1947 Jewish insurgency in Palestine.On 15 May 1948, the civil war transformed into a conflict between Israel and the Arab states following the Israeli Declaration of Independence the previous day. Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, and expeditionary forces from Iraq entered Palestine. The invading forces took control of the Arab areas and immediately attacked Israeli forces and several Jewish settlements. The 10 months of fighting took place mostly on the territory of the British Mandate and in the Sinai Peninsula and southern Lebanon, interrupted by several truce periods.As a result of the war, the State of Israel controlled the area that the UN had proposed for the Jewish state, as well as almost 60% of the area proposed for the Arab state, including the Jaffa, Lydda and Ramle area, Upper Galilee, some parts of the Negev and a wide strip along the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem road. Israel also took control of West Jerusalem, which was meant to be part of an international zone for Jerusalem and its environs. Transjordan took control of East Jerusalem and what became known as the West Bank, annexing it the following year. The territory which became the Gaza Strip was occupied by Egypt.Over 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes in the area that became Israel, marking the beginning of the Palestinian refugee problem, in what they refer to as the Nakba (Arabic for "the catastrophe"). A similar number of Jews moved to Israel during the three years following the war, including 260,000 from the surrounding Arab states.
The Iran–Israel proxy conflict, also known as the Iran–Israel proxy war or Iran–Israel Cold War, is an ongoing proxy conflict between Iran and Israel. In the Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Iran has supported Lebanese Shia militias, most notably Hezbollah. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran has backed Palestinian groups such as Hamas. Israel has supported Iranian rebels, such as the People's Mujahedin of Iran, conducted airstrikes against Iranian allies in Syria and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists. In 2018 Israeli forces directly attacked Iranian forces in Syria.Motivated by the periphery doctrine, Imperial Iran and Israel had close relations, seeing Arab powers as a common threat. After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran cut off relations, but covert ties continued during the subsequent Iran–Iraq War. Iran trained and armed Hezbollah during Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and continued to back Shia militias throughout the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon. Even before 1979, Iranian Islamists had materially supported the Palestinians; after 1979 Iran attempted relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization, and later with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Israel fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006. Israel has fought several wars with Palestinians in and around the Gaza Strip: in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, 2021 and 2023-2024. The 1982 Lebanon War and Israel–Hamas war have been the deadliest wars of the Arab–Israeli conflict.Various reasons have been given for the Iran-Israel conflict. Iran and Israel had previously enjoyed warm ties due to common threats, but by 1990s the USSR had dissolved and Iraq had been weakened. Iranian Islamists have long championed the Palestinian people, whom they perceive as "oppressed". Scholars believe that by supporting the Palestinians, Iran seeks greater acceptance among Sunnis and Arabs, both of whom dominate the Middle East. Ideologically, Iran seeks to replace Israel with a one-state solution (though Iran has at times also supported the two-state solution) and has predicted Israel's demise. Israel sees Iran as an existential threat, and accuses its regime of harboring genocidal intentions. Consequently, Israel has sought sanctions and military action against Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Fox News contributor Charlie Hurt criticizes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Biden for labeling anti-Israel protests as peaceful, highlighting the danger for Jewish students at universities like Columbia and Yale. Hurt condemns students for openly supporting Hamas without understanding the history or consequences. Ocasio-Cortez praises the protests, while Jewish students face antisemitic chants and safety warnings. Biden denounces the antisemitism, and both political leaders face backlash over their stances on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Palestine (Arabic: فلسطين, romanized: Filasṭīn), officially the State of Palestine (دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn), is a state in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Founded on 15 November 1988 and officially governed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), it claims the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip as its territory, all of which have been Israeli-occupied territories since the 1967 Six-Day War. The West Bank contains 165 Palestinian enclaves that are under partial Palestinian rule, but the remainder, including 200 Israeli settlements, is under full Israeli control. The Gaza Strip was governed by Egypt but conquered by Israel in 1967. Israel governed the region until it withdrew in 2005. The United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and various human-rights organizations still consider Gaza to be held under Israeli military occupation – due to what they regard as Israel's effective military control over the territory – as well as under blockade by Israel and Egypt. Israel disputes this. Hamas seized power after winning the 2006 Palestinian legislative election.After World War II, in 1947, the United Nations (UN) adopted a Partition Plan for Mandatory Palestine, which recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. Immediately after the United Nations General Assembly adopted the plan as Resolution 181, a civil war broke out in Palestine, and the plan was not implemented. The day after the establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948, neighboring Arab countries invaded the former British Mandate and engaged Israeli forces in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Later, the All-Palestine Government was established by the Arab League on 22 September 1948 to govern the All-Palestine Protectorate in the Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip. It was soon recognized by all Arab League members except Transjordan, which had occupied and later annexed the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestine is currently recognized by 138 of the 193 United Nations (UN) member states. Though jurisdiction of the All-Palestine Government was declared to cover the whole of the former Mandatory Palestine, its effective jurisdiction was limited to the Gaza Strip. During the Six-Day War in June 1967, Israel captured the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.On 15 November 1988 in Algiers, Yasser Arafat, as Chairman of the PLO, issued the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, which established the State of Palestine. A year after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was formed to govern (in varying degrees) areas A and B in the West Bank, comprising 165 enclaves, and the Gaza Strip. After Hamas became the PNA parliament's leading party in the most recent elections (2006), a conflict broke out between it and the Fatah party, leading to the Gaza Strip being taken over by Hamas in 2007 (two years after the Israeli disengagement).The State of Palestine's mid-year population in 2021 was 5,227,193. Although Palestine claims Jerusalem as its capital, the city is under the control of Israel; both Palestinian and Israeli claims to the city are mostly unrecognized by the international community. Palestine is a member of the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the G77, the International Olympic Committee, as well as UNESCO, UNCTAD and the International Criminal Court. Following a failed attempt in 2011 to secure full United Nations member state status, the United Nations General Assembly voted in 2012 to recognize Palestine as a non-member observer state. On 26 February 2024, the Palestinian government collapsed, with the entire Palestinian government resigning, including the prime minister.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; Hebrew: צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , lit. 'The Army for the Defense of Israel'), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security apparatus. The IDF is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, who is subordinate to the Israeli Defense Minister.On the orders of David Ben-Gurion, the IDF was formed on 26 May 1948 and began to operate as a conscript military, drawing its initial recruits from the already-existing paramilitaries of the Yishuv—namely Haganah, the Irgun, and Lehi. It was formed shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence, and has participated in every armed conflict involving Israel. In the wake of the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, the IDF underwent a significant strategic realignment. Previously spread across various fronts—Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan and Iraq in the east, and Egypt in the south—the IDF redirected its focus towards southern Lebanon and its occupation of the Palestinian territories, the Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In 2000, the IDF withdrew from Southern Lebanon and in 2005 from Gaza. Conflict between Israel and Islamist groups based in Gaza, notably Hamas, has continued since then. Moreover, notable Israeli–Syrian border incidents have occurred frequently since 2011, due to regional instability caused by the Syrian civil war.Since 1967, the IDF maintains a close security relationship with the United States, including in research and development cooperation, with joint efforts on the F-15I, the Tactical High-Energy Laser, and the Arrow defense systen, among others. The IDF is believed to have maintained an operational nuclear weapons capability since 1967, possibly possessing between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads.
In 2024, the Iran–Israel proxy conflict escalated to a direct conflict between the two countries. On 1 April, Israel bombed an Iranian consulate annex in Damascus, Syria, killing multiple senior Iranian officials. In response, Iran and its proxies launched strikes inside Israel on 13 April. Israel then carried out retaliatory strikes in Iran on 19 April.
Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for attacking two US ships in the Gulf of Aden and an Israeli ship in the Indian Ocean, citing support for Palestinians in Gaza and retaliating against American-British aggression. Recent attacks near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway, point to ongoing Houthi activity in the region. The rebels have targeted shipping extensively, with over 50 attacks since November, amidst a U.S.-led campaign against them. Houthis vow to continue attacks until Israel halts its conflict in Gaza.
The relations between Iran and Israel are divided into four major phases: the ambivalent period from 1947 to 1953, the friendly period during the era of the Pahlavi dynasty from 1953 to 1979, the worsening period following the Iranian Revolution from 1979 to 1990, and the ongoing period of open hostility since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. In 1947, Iran was among 13 countries that voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for the British Mandate of Palestine. Two years later, Iran also voted against Israel's admission to the United Nations.Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel as a sovereign state after Turkey. After the 1953 coup d'état, which reinstalled the pro-Western leader Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as the Shah of Iran, relations between the two countries significantly improved.After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, and its theocratic government does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state. The turn from cold peace to open hostility began in the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War, after which relative power in the Middle East shifted to Iran and Israel. The conflict escalated in the early 1990s, as Yitzhak Rabin's government adopted a more aggressive posture on Iran. Rhetorical conflict heated up during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who made inflammatory statements against Israel. Other factors that have contributed to the escalation of bilateral tensions include Iran's development of nuclear technology relative to Israel's long-stated Begin Doctrine, Iran's funding of Islamist groups such as Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, as well as alleged involvement in terrorist attacks such as the 1992 attack on Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 AMIA bombing, and Israel's alleged support for militant groups such as the People's Mujahedin of Iran and Jundallah as well as alleged covert Israeli operations in Iran including multiple assassinations and bombings.Since 1985, Iran and Israel have been engaged in an ongoing proxy conflict that has greatly affected the geopolitics of the Middle East, and has included direct military confrontations between Iranian and Israeli organizations, such as in the 2006 Lebanon War. The conflict has played out in various ways, including through support for opposing factions in conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Iran has provided support to the Syrian government, while Israel has supported opposition groups. In Yemen, Iran has provided support to the Houthi rebels, while Israel has provided support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels. The conflict has also involved cyber attacks and sabotage against each other's infrastructure, including attacks on nuclear facilities and oil tankers. Overall, the Iran-Israel proxy conflict is a complex and ongoing conflict that has had a significant impact on the political and security dynamics of the Middle East.
Police in riot gear arrested 93 people at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles on trespassing charges during a pro-Palestinian protest. Similar protests and clashes occurred at other US universities like the University of Texas and Columbia University. Protests against Israel's military campaign in Gaza have led to arrests at multiple campuses. The demonstrations, marked by chants of "free Palestine," demand universities to cut financial ties with Israel and halt weapon supplies. Amid concerns of antisemitism, tensions rise as police disperse protesters.
Pro-Palestinian student activists at universities like Columbia are demanding divestment from companies profiting from Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian lands. The protesters aim to pressure universities to sell holdings in businesses like Google and Airbnb. However, researchers suggest the impact of divestment would be minimal and could even be counterproductive. Israeli defenders argue against divestment, labeling it unfair and antisemitic. Pro-Palestinian activists view divestment as a meaningful way to push for action and raise awareness on Palestinian concerns.
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