Why Gaza Is Epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
This article is for subscribers only.
Sign up for our Middle East newsletter and follow us @middleeast for news on the region.
Since the militant Islamist group Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, the small, overcrowded enclave has been the focal point in Israel’s military conflict with the Palestinians. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants in Gaza pulled off a shocking air, sea and land invasion of southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking dozens of hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to crush Hamas, which the US and European Union have designated terrorist group, and Israel’s military ordered a “full siege” of Gaza.