What is Hamas and why is it fighting with Israel in Gaza?
What is Hamas and why is it fighting with Israel in Gaza?
(about 1 month later)
Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have been at war since early October.
The Israeli military responded with air strikes on Gaza, and launched a ground offensive. More than 21,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
It began when Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza - the deadliest in Israel's history.
During a temporary truce at the end of November, Hamas released 105 hostages and Israel freed 240 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
An Israeli military campaign has followed, which has killed thousands in the Palestinian territory.
What is the goal of Israel's military operation in Gaza?
What happened during the Hamas attacks on Israel?
Since the 7 October attacks, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warplanes have carried out air strikes across Gaza while its troops have moved through the territory.
On the morning of 7 October, waves of Hamas gunmen stormed across Gaza's border into Israel. Hamas also fired thousands of rockets.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had a "clear goal of destroying Hamas's military and governing capabilities", as well as freeing the hostages.
The gunmen killed 1,200 people on the day and more than 100 later died from their injuries.
Israel, the UK, US and other Western powers class Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
Those killed included children, the elderly and 364 young people at a music festival.
Mr Netanyahu also declared that Israel would have "overall security responsibility" for Gaza "for an indefinite period" after the conflict. However, he later said Israel had no plans to reoccupy the territory.
Hamas took more than 250 others to Gaza as hostages.
Israel drafted 300,000 reservists for the operation, boosting its standing force of 160,000.
The BBC has also seen evidence of rape and sexual violence during the Hamas attacks.
Netanyahu says Israel paying 'heavy price' for war
What Gaza's death toll says about the war
What is happening on the ground in Gaza?
The IDF says it has struck more than 22,000 targets since 7 October.
It also says it has destroyed more than 800 tunnel shafts built underneath Gaza. Hamas previously claimed that its tunnel network stretches for 500km (310 miles).
Satellite images suggest that nearly 100,000 buildings in Gaza may have been damaged during the fighting.
After the temporary truce ended, Israeli troops pushed into southern Gaza and began operations against Hamas and other armed groups in and around the city of Khan Younis.
The ground offensive is now expanding into refugee camps in central Gaza.
The IDF has carried out many air strikes on Rafah, near the Egyptian border, where it previously told residents of Khan Younis to flee.
There has been fierce fighting in the north, around the Jabalia refugee camp and the Shejaiya district of Gaza City. The UN estimates that 100,000 civilians remain in the north.
Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters during the war and arrested hundreds.
The IDF says 167 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of its ground offensive on 27 October.
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Gaza Strip in maps: How life has changed in two months
Who are the hostages and how many have been freed?
During the 7 October attacks, Hamas took about 240 hostages, who it said were hidden in "safe places and tunnels" within Gaza.
Israel said more than 30 of the hostages were children, and at least 10 were aged over 60. It also said about half of the hostages had foreign passports from 25 different countries.
Under a deal brokered by Qatar, a seven-day pause in fighting began on 24 November.
Large crowds have been gathering in the occupied West Bank to greet Palestinians released from Israeli jails
During the truce, 81 Israelis and dual nationals were released, along with 24 foreigners. In return for the Israeli hostages, 240 Palestinians were free from Israeli jails.
The released hostages included:
78 Israeli women and children
23 Thais and one Filipino
3 Russian-Israelis
Hamas let four Israeli hostages go before the truce, and another was freed by Israeli forces.
Israeli troops mistakenly shot dead three hostages who were displaying a white flag in Gaza on 15 December.
It is believed that more than 100 hostages remain alive in Gaza. A number of bodies have also been recovered and Israeli officials have confirmed the deaths of more than 20 people who had been held by Hamas.
The perils of hostage rescue
Released Palestinians allege abuse in Israeli jails
Why did the pause in fighting end, and will another be agreed?
Each side blamed the other for the collapse of the truce and resumption of fighting on 1 December.
Mr Netanyahu said Hamas had not "met its obligation to release all of the women hostages", and had "launched rockets at Israeli citizens".
Hamas said Israel had refused "to accept all offers to release other hostages".
On 13 December, the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire", as well as the "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages".
Five days earlier, the US had vetoed a similar draft resolution at the UN Security Council, saying a ceasefire would allow Hamas to regroup.
A woman cries as she hugs an injured man after an Israeli air strike on Rafah in southern Gaza on 12 December
On 22 December, the Security Council adopted a resolution calling for "urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities". But it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in order to avoid a US veto.
Hamas has said it and other armed groups in Gaza will not release any more hostages until Israel agrees to end the war.
Mr Netanyahu has promised to push on the war "until the end". "Whoever talks about stopping - there is no such thing," he told troops on 25 December.
The price of peace between Israelis and Palestinians
What is the humanitarian situation in Gaza?
Only a fraction of Gaza's 36 hospitals are still functioning
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 55,000 people have been injured since the start of the war.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says only 13 out of Gaza's 36 hospitals are partially functioning.
The nine hospitals in the south are operating at three times their capacity, while facing critical shortages of basic supplies and fuel for generators.
Mr Netanyahu has admitted that Israel has been "not successful" in minimising civilian casualties, but says Hamas has been using Gaza's civilians as human shields.
Food supplies are scarce, and there is overwhelming demand for the limited amount of flour distributed by the UN
UN agencies say 26% of Gazans - 576,600 people - have exhausted their food supplies and coping capacities and face "catastrophic hunger and starvation".
According to Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, 1.9 million Gazan residents - about 85% of the population - have been displaced, and 1.4 million of them are sheltering in its facilities.
Many of them fled the fighting in the north after an Israeli order to move south of the Wadi Gaza river valley for their own safety.
Tens of thousands have moved to Rafah to escape the fighting. The UN says there are at least 486 people for every toilet in its shelters there.
Israel's military published an online map with Gaza split into more than 600 blocks, showing areas where people should evacuate for their own safety.
But Unicef, the UN charity for children, warned that some of the "safe" zones were "tiny patches of barren land" with no water, sanitation or shelter.
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Is humanitarian aid getting into Gaza?
After the 7 October attacks, Israel shut its border crossings with Gaza, preventing the usual supplies of food, water, and medicine from entering the territory.
Israel allowed limited aid deliveries to resume via the Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing on 21 October. However, the UN says the number of lorries entering each day has been about a fifth of the daily average of 500 before the war.
Israel has severely limited supplies of fuel, arguing that it could be stolen by Hamas and used for military purposes.
Fuel shortages have meant that water pumps and desalination plants, waste and sanitation services, and many bakeries have been unable to function.
The reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing provides another route to get aid into Gaza
On 17 December, Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom goods crossing with Gaza, allowing another route for aid to enter the territory.
However, the UN says it is struggling to distribute aid beyond the Rafah area. blaming a shortage of lorries, the lack of fuel, frequent telecommunications blackouts and the dangers of travelling through areas where there is fighting.
Hundreds of foreign passport holders - including some British and US citizens - and seriously wounded and sick Palestinians have been able to leave through Rafah, but many remain.
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What happened during the Hamas 7 October attacks on Israel?
On 7 October, hundreds of Hamas gunmen crossed from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, breaking through the heavily guarded perimeter fence, landing by sea, and using paragliders.
It was the most serious cross-border attack against Israel in more than a generation.
The gunmen killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in a series of raids on military posts, kibbutzim and a music festival, and took hostages back into Gaza.
The BBC has also seen and heard evidence of rape, sexual violence and mutilation of women during the Hamas attacks, Victims included children, teenagers and pensioners.
A young women kneels at a vigil for the hostages in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv
The attacks came at a time of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions: 2023 has been the deadliest on record for Palestinians who live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October
How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October
What is Hamas and what does it want?
What is Hamas and why is it fighting Israel?
Hamas is a Palestinian group which has run Gaza since 2007.
Hamas became the sole ruler of Gaza after violently ejecting political rivals in 2007.
The name is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, which means Islamic Resistance Movement.
It has an armed wing and was thought to have 30,000 fighters before the start of the war.
The group wants to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic state.
The group, whose name stands for Islamic Resistance Movement, wants to create an Islamic state in place of Israel. Hamas rejects Israel's right to exist and is committed to its destruction.
Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas's political wing in Gaza, pictured in 2021
Hamas justified its attack as a response to what it calls Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people.
Its military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, is thought to have about 30,000 members.
These include security raids on Islam's third holiest site - the al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem - and Jewish settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas has fought several wars with Israel since it took power, firing thousands of rockets into Israel and carrying out other deadly attacks.
Hamas fighters on an Israeli tank captured in the 7 October attack
In response, Israel has repeatedly attacked Hamas with air strikes, sending in troops in 2008 and 2014.
Hamas also wants thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israel to be freed and for an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt - something both countries say is for security.
Hamas - or in some cases the al-Qassam Brigades - has been designated a terrorist group by Israel, the US, the EU and the UK, as well as other powers.
It has fought several wars with Israel since it took power, fired thousands of rockets and carried out other deadly attacks.
Iran backs the group, providing funding, weapons and training.
Israel has repeatedly attacked Hamas with air strikes and sent troops into Gaza in 2008 and 2014.
Who is the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar?
Hamas, or in some cases its armed wing alone, is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the US, the EU, and the UK, among others.
Iran backs Hamas with funding, weapons and training.
Who are the leaders of Hamas?
Who are the leaders of Hamas?
Who is the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar?
Why is Israel fighting in Gaza?
Israel immediately began a massive campaign of air strikes on targets in Gaza, in response to the Hamas attack
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's aims were the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages.
Israel launched a ground invasion three weeks later. It has also bombarded Gaza from the sea.
Attacks were initially focused on northern Gaza, particularly Gaza City and tunnels beneath it, which Israel said were the centre of military operations by Hamas.
All 1.1 million people living in the north were ordered by Israel to evacuate south for their safety.
Following a temporary truce in late November, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was extending ground operations to southern Gaza.
Troops reached the heart of the second biggest city, Khan Younis, where the IDF said it believed top Hamas commanders were hiding.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the north were forced to move further south. The IDF also pushed into refugee camps in central Gaza.
More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed, and tens of thousands injured by Israeli strikes since the start of the war, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. It says most were women and children.
The IDF says it has killed about 9,000 Hamas fighters, in addition to more than 1,000 of the attackers inside Israel. It has not said how it came to this figure.
Israel says more than 200 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza.
Homes and other buildings in Gaza have suffered from extensive damage and destruction.
What Gaza's death toll says about the war
At least half of Gaza buildings damaged or destroyed, new analysis shows
Who are the hostages and how many have been freed?
Most of the 250 men, women and children abducted by Hamas were civilians.
They included elderly people and those with disabilities and medical conditions. The youngest was nine months old.
In Gaza, Hamas hid them in tunnels and fighters' homes. Unconfirmed reports suggest some have been held by other militant groups.
During November's truce, 105 hostages (81 Israelis and dual nationals, and 24 foreigners) were released in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Four hostages had previously been freed by Hamas and one rescued by the IDF.
Three hostages were accidentally killed by Israeli troops who mistook them for Hamas fighters.
Stories of the hostages taken by Hamas from Israel
Who are the released hostages?
What is happening with Gaza civilians and hospitals?
Israel cut off supplies of food, water and fuel, to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
It led to severe shortages among Gaza's population.
Israel has since allowed in humanitarian aid, medicines and limited amounts of fuel.
However, the amount of aid getting into Gaza is well below pre-war levels.
The UN has accused Israel of obstructing the delivery of aid, while Israel has blamed the UN for problems.
In mid-January, the UN described the situation in Gaza as "horrific", with shelters overflowing, and food and water running out. It warned of a growing risk of famine.
Gaza's health system is in a state of collapse.
Only 16 out of its 36 hospitals are partially open.
They are overwhelmed by the huge number of injured and are struggling with shortages of staff, medical supplies, food, fuel and water.
What is the Rafah crossing and why is it Gaza's lifeline?
Gaza Strip in maps: How life has changed in three months
Where is the Gaza Strip and how big is it?
Where is the Gaza Strip and how big is it?
The Gaza Strip is a 41km (25-mile) long and 10km-wide territory located between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Gaza Strip is a 41km (25-mile) long and 10km-wide territory between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
Previously occupied by Egypt, Gaza was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Previously occupied by Egypt, Gaza was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Israel withdrew its troops and around 7,000 settlers from the territory in 2005.
Israel withdrew its troops and about 7,000 settlers from the territory in 2005.
Home to 2.2 million people, the narrow strip is one of the most densely-populated areas in the world.
Home to 2.2 million people, it is one of the world's most densely populated places.
Just over three-quarters of Gaza's population - some 1.7 million people - are registered refugees or descendants of refugees, according to the UN.
Just over three-quarters of Gaza's population are registered refugees, or descendants of refugees, the UN says.
Before the latest conflict, more than 500,000 people lived in eight refugee camps located across the Strip.
Israel controls the air space over Gaza, its shoreline and its shared border, and limits the movement of people and goods.
Israel controls the air space over Gaza and its shoreline, and strictly limits the movement of people and goods.
Israel Gaza war: History of the conflict explained
Israel Gaza war: History of the conflict explained
Huge challenges for Israel on its vague ‘day after’ Gaza plan
What is Palestine?
What is Palestine?
The West Bank and Gaza are known as the Palestinian territories. Along with East Jerusalem and Israel, they formed part of a land known as Palestine from Roman times until the mid-20th Century.
The West Bank and Gaza are known as the Palestinian territories.
In 1948, part of Palestine became Israel, which was recognised by the United Nations the following year. The West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza are recognised as Palestine by many countries and bodies, although it does not have member status at the UN.
Along with East Jerusalem and Israel, they formed part of land known as Palestine from Roman times until the mid-20th Century.
Those who do not recognise Israel's right to exist also still refer to all of the land as Palestine.
In 1948, part of Palestine became Israel, which was recognised by the UN the following year.
The Palestinian president is Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen. He is based in the West Bank, which is under Israeli occupation.
The West Bank - including East Jerusalem - and Gaza are recognised as Palestine by many countries and bodies, although it does not have UN member status.
He has been the leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA) since 2005, and represents the Fatah political party - a bitter rival of Hamas.
Those who do not recognise Israel's right to exist refer to all of the West Bank, Jerusalem, Gaza and Israel as Palestine.
Israel's borders explained in maps
The UN considers the West Bank and Gaza as a single Israeli-occupied territory.
However, the two areas are run by rival Palestinian administrations.
The West Bank is governed with limited self-rule by the Palestinian Authority (PA), under President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israel has overall control. The PA officially recognises Israel. Hamas, in Gaza, does not recognise Israel.
Hamas support soars in West Bank - but full uprising can still be avoided
Hamas support soars in West Bank - but full uprising can still be avoided
Divided communities in the West Bank
What is the two-state solution?
The future of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is one of the most difficult issues of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
An internationally backed plan for peace is known as the "two-state solution".
It would mean an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel.
Israel's most important ally, the US, sees a two-state solution as the way forward once the Gaza war ends.
A two-state solution is also formally supported by the PA.
However, since 1967, Israel has built about 140 settlements housing some 700,000 Jews in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The settlements are regarded as illegal by most of the rest of the world, though Israel disputes this.
The PA insists all settlements must be removed as part of any future peace deal.
The idea of a two-state solution has never been officially advocated by Israel, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly stated his opposition.
He says Israel must retain full security control over the West Bank and Gaza.
Netanyahu publicly rejects US push for Palestinian state
