(FILE) Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Al Sinwar attends a press conference after Hamas announcing his victory in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 10 March 2021 (reissued 06 August 2024). On 06 August 2024 Hamas announced that Senior Hamas leader in Gaza Strip Yahya Al-Sinwar, became the group's new political leader following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on 31 July 2024. EPA-EFE/MOHAMMED SABER *** Local Caption *** 56754685 What Is Hamas? Who Leads It? What Does It Want?: QuickTake
Israel’s military has stepped up attacks on the northern part of Gaza in recent days, sending troops back into the area and increasing airstrikes, in an effort to stop Hamas regrouping.
The war in Gaza began in October last year, when about 3,000 members of Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by the US, launched raids into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 250 others. Around 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing fighting, according to Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between combatants and civilian deaths.