Gaza / Palestine

The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking around 250 hostages. Israel's military response has resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian deaths as of March 2026, according to the Gaza Health Ministry — making this one of the deadliest conflicts in the world by casualty rate relative to population. The UN has declared the humanitarian situation in Gaza catastrophic. Over 70% of the territory has been designated a no-go zone.

Background

The Gaza Strip is a 41 km long coastal enclave bordering Israel and Egypt. It has been under Israeli blockade since 2007, when Hamas — designated a terrorist organization by the US, EU, and others — took control after winning Palestinian legislative elections in 2006. Around 2.3 million people live in one of the most densely populated territories on earth.

The conflict between Israel and Palestinians predates the current war by decades, rooted in the unresolved question of Palestinian statehood, the 1948 and 1967 wars, and decades of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. Gaza and the West Bank are both claimed as part of a future Palestinian state, though they have been governed separately since 2007.

Current Situation (March 2026)

Israeli military operations in Gaza have continued through early 2026 despite intermittent ceasefire negotiations. An early 2025 ceasefire agreement partially collapsed, with hostilities resuming. As of March 2026, large sections of Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah remain under active military operations or declared closed military zones.

Independent peer-reviewed research published in The Lancet Global Health in February 2026 estimated over 75,000 violent deaths by early 2025 — above the official Gaza Health Ministry figures, which researchers describe as a conservative floor due to healthcare system collapse. Scholars across multiple institutions have estimated that approximately 80% of those killed were civilians.

In January 2026, for the first time, an Israeli military official accepted the Gaza Health Ministry figures as broadly accurate, acknowledging that more than 71,000 Palestinians had been killed by direct Israeli fire.

The West Bank has simultaneously seen a sharp increase in Israeli military raids and settler violence. ACLED records a significant rise in conflict events in the West Bank throughout 2024 and 2025.

Humanitarian Crisis

The UN, WHO, ICRC, and multiple humanitarian agencies have described Gaza as experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises of the modern era. Key indicators:

• Over 70% of Gaza's buildings damaged or destroyed (UN Satellite Analysis)
• Only 12 of 36 hospitals remained partially functional as of mid-2025 (WHO)
• Approximately 2,000 hospital beds available for 2.3 million people
• Famine conditions declared in northern Gaza (IPC Famine Review Committee)
• 224+ humanitarian aid workers killed, including 179 UNRWA employees
• 248 journalists killed (Committee to Protect Journalists)
• 56.2% of identified dead are women, children, and elderly (OHCHR)

Food has been used as an instrument of blockade according to multiple UN agency reports. Aid delivery has been severely restricted, with convoys subject to attack and bureaucratic obstruction.

Regional Hotspots

• Gaza City (North Gaza) CRITICAL — active combat, near-total destruction
• Central Gaza CRITICAL — ongoing operations
• Rafah CRITICAL — ground operations, Egyptian border
• West Bank HIGH — military raids, settler violence escalating

Key Actors

Israel (IDF)

Conducting military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. States the objective as dismantling Hamas military capacity and recovering hostages. Facing growing international legal pressure — the International Court of Justice is hearing a genocide case brought by South Africa. Israel denies genocide allegations.

Hamas

Governing authority of Gaza since 2007. Designated terrorist organization by US, EU, UK, and others. Initiated the October 7, 2023 attack. Military wing significantly degraded by Israeli operations. Political leadership largely abroad in Qatar. Still holds an unknown number of hostages.

Palestinian Authority (PA)

Governs parts of the West Bank. Has limited control over Gaza. Relations between PA and Hamas remain fractured. The PA's post-war role in Gaza governance remains unresolved and contested internationally.

United States

Primary military and diplomatic backer of Israel. Supplies weapons and provides UN Security Council cover. Has periodically pushed for ceasefire negotiations without imposing binding conditions. Policy under the Trump administration has continued unconditional support for Israeli operations.

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