Israel-Gaza War

What it is

The Israel-Gaza War is the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, launched on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters crossed from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and taking around 250 people hostage. Israel's government declared war that day. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began air strikes within hours and launched a ground operation on October 27, 2023. The conflict is fought in and around the Gaza Strip, a 365 sq km coastal enclave on the Mediterranean, bordered by Israel to the north and east and Egypt to the south, with a pre-war population of approximately 2.3 million Palestinians.

History

Gaza was under Egyptian administration from 1948 to 1967, when Israel captured it in the Six-Day War. Israeli military occupation continued until Israel's unilateral withdrawal of settlements and forces in 2005. Hamas, the Islamist movement founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, won Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006 and ousted the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority from Gaza by force in June 2007, establishing exclusive territorial control. Israel and Egypt imposed a land, sea, and air blockade that year, restricting movement of people and goods. Three major rounds of fighting preceded the current war: 2008-2009 (Operation Cast Lead), 2012 (Operation Pillar of Defense), and 2014 (Operation Protective Edge, 50 days, 2,251 Palestinians killed). None resolved Hamas's control or Gaza's isolated status under blockade.

Current state

The IDF's ground campaign moved sequentially through northern Gaza, Khan Younis, and Rafah over roughly two years. As of early 2026, over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 171,000 injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. UN agencies document 461 malnutrition-related deaths, including 157 children, 565 aid workers killed since October 2023, and 252 journalists killed. Infrastructure damage is severe: UN assessments found 81% of structures in Gaza damaged or destroyed, and more than 1.9 million people were displaced.

A ceasefire announced October 10, 2025, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, remains in place, but UN and ICRC assessments describe conditions as unsustainable. Since the truce began, 1,005 more Palestinians have been killed (as of June 2026). Aid delivery remains far below the allotted ceiling, with around 36% of designated trucks entering Gaza over the ceasefire period, and the 2026 UN Flash Appeal for US$4 billion is funded at only 24%.

South Africa filed an application at the International Court of Justice on December 29, 2023, alleging genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The ICJ ordered provisional measures on January 26, 2024, directing Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide and enable humanitarian assistance. Israel filed its counter-memorial on March 12, 2026. A parallel UN report documented systematic harm to children in Gaza, adding to the accountability record.

Relationships

Israel's campaign has been directed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, which includes far-right partners Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, both of whom hold maximalist positions on Gaza's future. Smotrich has publicly advocated for Israeli settlements in Gaza, drawing condemnation from the United States and European governments. The Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah in the West Bank, claims governance authority over all Palestinians but has no control in Gaza and is not a party to ceasefire negotiations. Egypt controls the Rafah crossing on Gaza's southern border and has been a central mediator throughout. The United States is Israel's principal weapons supplier and has used Security Council vetoes to block binding UN resolutions on the conflict.

The war has cascaded regionally. Israeli forces remain in southern Lebanon and parts of Syria, citing security gaps left by Hezbollah's weakened state. Parallel Israeli military operations in the West Bank have intensified, documented by Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.

What to watch

• Phase-two ceasefire negotiations on Hamas disarmament and a permanent end to hostilities, which are stalled as of mid-2026, with Hamas refusing to disarm and Israel conditioning further withdrawal on it.
• ICJ merits proceedings: South Africa's response to Israel's counter-memorial is due November 2027, with a final ruling years beyond that.
• Funding of the 2026 UN Flash Appeal, currently at 24%, and whether water-trucking and hospital supply chains hold through the year.
• Coalition stability in Israel, where far-right partners have threatened to collapse the government over any concessions on Gaza's post-war governance.