The Israel-Gaza War

Hamas-led militants launched a coordinated attack on Israel from Gaza, breaching the border fence, attacking military bases, and raiding civilian communities and a music festival. Approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed, and about 250 hostages were taken into Gaza. It was the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust. Israel declared war on Hamas, initiating a sustained bombing campaign on Gaza.

Israel's Defense Minister announced a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off electricity, water, food, and fuel to the territory's 2.3 million residents. Humanitarian organizations warned of catastrophic consequences. Israel ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, displacing hundreds of thousands. The siege drew international condemnation and raised accusations of collective punishment under international humanitarian law.

Israel launched a ground invasion of northern Gaza, targeting Hamas infrastructure and tunnel networks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) encircled Gaza City and conducted intense urban warfare. The offensive caused widespread destruction of residential buildings, hospitals, and infrastructure. Palestinian authorities reported thousands of civilian casualties, while Israel stated it was targeting Hamas fighters embedded in civilian areas.

After weeks of mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary truce lasting seven days. During the ceasefire, Hamas released approximately 105 hostages (mostly Israeli women and children) in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Humanitarian aid entered Gaza, and the pause allowed some civilian movement south. Fighting resumed on December 1 after negotiations for a further extension collapsed.

South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The ICJ issued provisional measures in January 2024 ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts and allow humanitarian aid. Israel rejected the accusations as baseless. The case drew global attention to the legal dimensions of the conflict and deepened international divisions.

The war triggered widespread protests worldwide. University campus encampments spread across the U.S. and Europe, with students demanding institutional divestment from Israel. The protests led to thousands of arrests and accusations of antisemitism. Governments debated arms embargoes, with several countries restricting arms sales to Israel. The conflict became a polarizing issue in Western politics, exposing generational and ideological divides on Israel-Palestine.

Israel launched a military operation in Rafah, where over 1.4 million displaced Palestinians had sought refuge. The operation displaced hundreds of thousands more and led to the closure of the Rafah crossing, Gaza's main humanitarian aid route. Famine warnings intensified as aid deliveries plummeted. The International Criminal Court's prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

The conflict expanded regionally. Hezbollah in Lebanon engaged in daily cross-border exchanges with Israel since October 2023. In September 2024, Israel launched a major escalation against Hezbollah, including pager explosions and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Iran launched ballistic missile attacks on Israel in April and October 2024. Israel struck Iranian military facilities in October 2024, raising fears of a broader regional war.

By early 2025, Gaza health authorities reported over 46,000 Palestinian deaths, the majority women and children. Israeli military sources reported over 400 military deaths. Much of Gaza's housing, hospitals, schools, and water infrastructure was destroyed or severely damaged. The UN estimated reconstruction would take decades. The death toll and destruction sparked global protests, boycott campaigns, and debates about international humanitarian law and the limits of self-defense.

After months of mediation, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal, effective January 19, 2025. The agreement included phases for hostage releases, Palestinian prisoner exchanges, Israeli withdrawal from populated areas, and increased humanitarian aid. The ceasefire was brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. While celebrated as a step toward ending the conflict, implementation challenges and political opposition on both sides remained.

At his weekly cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the 15-point Gaza peace plan brokered by the US-led Board of Peace (BoP), declaring: 'Israel does not accept the 15-point document.' He vowed that the IDF 'will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed' of all weaponry, and reiterated that no Palestinian state would be established in Gaza or the West Bank while he remained prime minister. The rejection came two weeks after Trump's BoP announced a 'historic breakthrough' roadmap (July 30) under which Hamas had agreed to phased disarmament contingent on Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu's statement eliminated strategic ambiguity Israel had preserved through anonymous responses, and blindsided IDF commanders who had reportedly been discussing pilot withdrawal areas in southern Gaza with him days earlier. Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the roadmap and called on US mediators to pressure Israel. The rejection strained US-Israel relations ahead of Israel's October 27 Knesset election, with Netanyahu balancing demands from far-right coalition partners against pressure from the Trump administration.

US Special Envoy Jared Kushner, alongside Board of Peace officials, held a rare direct meeting with Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on August 16, 2026, before talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. The meetings produced two working groups - on disarmament and humanitarian issues - but no breakthrough on the core dispute over sequencing: Israel refused to withdraw before Hamas fully disarmed, while Hamas called Israel's ongoing attacks and occupation violations of the 15-point plan. Washington shifted from an all-at-once roadmap toward step-by-step implementation of Hamas compliance. Israel reported 16 ceasefire violations by Palestinian armed groups between August 1 and 18; Hamas accused Israel of the same.

Within hours of Kushner's departure from the region on August 18, Israeli strikes resumed across Gaza, and by week's end senior officers described a return to pre-ceasefire rules of engagement. Strikes hit a crowded cafe at Gaza City's port, killing at least seven, and the former police headquarters, killing the acting director of Gaza's police force and the head of its women's police division - officials a Hamas source said had gathered to prepare the weapons handover required under the US peace plan. Palestinian monitors recorded 23 killed and 91 injured between August 18 and 24. The UN Security Council was briefed on August 26 amid what the UN envoy called a fragile ceasefire and continued suffering, with countries condemning the escalation while imposing few concrete consequences.