The Gaza Strip, often referred to simply as Gaza, is a small coastal territory in the Southern Levant that is north of Egypt's Sinai, East of the Mediterranean Sea, and South-West of Israel.
The long-standing ruler of the Gaza Strip is Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by most Western states and international governmental organizations. Under Hamas, Gaza has been in a state of conflict with Israel. Several other terrorist organizations reside in Gaza and take part in the hostilities, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, ISIS offshoots and others.
Gaza is home to 1.5 million Palestinians, largely Sunni Muslim, some who identify as refugees or descendants of refugees from territory now belonging to Israel. Gaza has a very young population, but is very impoverished due to mismanagement, corruption, conflict, and the redirection of taxes and financial aid to warfare.
Due to the conflict between Gaza and Israel, the territory has been under blockade since 2007, though it shares one border and crossing, Rafah, with Egypt. A significant amount of smuggling occurs on this border, often through tunnels.
Gaza is surrounded by defensive structures created by the Israel Defense Forces to counter Gazan terrorist attacks. This includes a sensor fence that rings the perimeter, an underground barrier to prevent and detect tunneling, and a naval barrier to prevent naval frogman infiltration.
Rockets fired from Gaza have presented a major strategic challenge to Israel. Military infrastructure runs through Gaza's cities, including rocket infrastructure. Launch sites, munitions storage, command & control centers, bunkers and more can be found throughout Gaza, much of it underground. In the past, Hamas leaders have claimed that 500 kilometers of tunnel systems are laced throughout the Strip.
Gaza was part of the British Mandate after the territory was relinquished by the UK from the Ottoman Empire after World War I. After the Mandate dissolved, it was seized during Israel's War of Independence by Egypt, and ruled by the Egyptian puppet All-Palestine Government. During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured the territory, and it was not returned along with other Egyptian holdings after the two made peace in the 1970s. 21 Israeli settlements were established within Gaza, but in 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Strip. In 2006, the Palestinians held legislative elections, but when Hamas won, there was a civil war, and Hamas seized full control of Gaza.
From the disengagement onwards, Hamas and other terrorist organizations increased terrorist attacks against Israelis, and several operations have been fought to quell Gazan attacks, including 2008's Cast Lead, 2011's Pillar of Defense, 2014's Protective Edge, and 2021's Guardian of the Walls.
US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew was present and noted that more than 30 American citizens were murdered in the Hamas atrocities on October 7.
It is imperative that we, as a society, stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and unequivocally condemn antisemitism in all its forms.
Only in the world of the absurd can the majority of the international community deliberately ignore the openly genocidal intentions of Iran, Hamas, and other Palestinian terror organizations.
Along with Biden’s threat to hold back offensive weapons from Israel if it goes into Rafah in a larger way, the US has hit Israel with a one-two punch.
The team at Wine on the Vine worked with the families of the Gaza hostages to tell the stories of their loved ones through unique wine bottles featuring photos and descriptions of seven hostages.
Omry, a fallen reservist, is remembered by family, friends, and fellow soldiers as a hero dedicated to any mission.
The IDF said it had attacked over 150 targets on Saturday-Sunday, including using a wide range of air and artillery power, a heavy increase in the use of more destructive Israeli war machines.
The report was made to Arab media, which stated that members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad had met other Palestinian factions in Damascus, though the names of the groups were not specified.
The information offered by the US reportedly includes details regarding the whereabouts of Hamas leaders and the terror group's tunnels.
The White House said that it was watching "with concern," but the Israeli operations appeared to be localized around the shuttered Rafah crossing and did not reflect a large-scale invasion.
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