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Israel–Hamas war
Ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups[lower-alpha 24] has been taking place chiefly in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. Clashes have also occurred in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and with Hezbollah along the borders with Lebanon and Syria. The fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008, it has been the deadliest for Palestinians in the entire Israeli–Palestinian conflict,[142] and the most significant military engagement in the region since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.[143]
Israel–Hamas war | |||||||
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Part of the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict | |||||||
![]() Gaza Strip under Israeli control
Furthest Israeli advance in Gaza Strip
Evacuated areas inside Israel
Areas of Gaza subject to Israeli evacuation orders. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Allies in the Palestinian territories:
Other theaters:
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Units involved | |||||||
See Order of Battle | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
Gaza Strip:
West Bank:[lower-alpha 10] Militants inside Israel:[lower-alpha 12]
Lebanon and Syria
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Per Israel:
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Casualties in Egypt Estimates of casualties (including future indirect deaths): Lancet Correspondence: 186,000+ deaths "attributable to the current conflict in Gaza."[141] | |||||||
The war began when Hamas-led militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October, which involved a rocket barrage and an estimated 3,000 militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier and attacking Israeli civilian communities and military bases. During this attack, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, including 766 civilians and 373 security personnel.[lower-alpha 25] In addition, 251 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive into Gaza.[144] Hamas said its attack was in response to Israel's continued occupation, blockade of Gaza, and settlements expansion, as well as alleged threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the plight of Palestinians.[145][146][147] After clearing militants from its territory, Israel responded by launching one of the most destructive bombing campaigns in modern history,[148][149] before commencing a large-scale ground invasion on 27 October with the stated objectives of destroying Hamas and releasing the hostages.[150][151]
Since the start of the Israeli operation, more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed,[152] of which at least 56% are estimated to be women and children as of May 2024.[153] Israel's tightened blockade cut off basic necessities and its attacks on infrastructure have led to a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, including a collapse of the healthcare system and an impending famine.[154] As a result, indirect Palestinian deaths due to disease are likely magnitudes higher,[155] while more an estimated 6,400 are missing and presumed trapped under rubble.[156] By early 2024, Israeli forces had ravaged most of the Gaza Strip, destroying or damaging more than half of its houses,[157] at least a third of its tree cover and farmland,[158][159] most of its schools and universities,[160][161] hundreds of cultural landmarks,[162] and dozens of cemeteries.[163] This led to the forced displacement of nearly all of the strip's 2.3 million Palestinian population,[164][165] while over one hundred thousand Israelis remain internally displaced.[166]
The war continues to have significant regional and international repercussions. Large protests have occurred across the world, primarily pro-Palestinian ones. Israel's conduct have been denounced in the Muslim world and much of the Global South. In December 2023, South Africa brought a case before the International Court of Justice that accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza; with the court later ordering Israel to immediately halt its ongoing Rafah offensive.[167] Israel has received significant support from its traditional Western allies, most notably the United States, which has provided Israel extensive military aid throughout the war and has vetoed multiple UN Security Council ceasefire resolutions.[168] Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed Axis of Resistance has engaged, with its groups attacking American military bases in the Middle East; the Yemeni Houthi movement attacking commercial ships allegedly linked to Israel, incurring a US-led military response;[169] and the ongoing exchange of strikes between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel risking the eruption of another full-scale war.[170]