On March 18, the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel ended as Israel broke the agreement by attacking with an airstrike to Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians. It is unclear at this time if civilians have or will be identified.
In January 2025, Israel and Hamas came to an agreement to halt the war and release Israel and Palestine hostages and prisoners.
While a declaration of the ceasefire’s end was not made, actions taken by Israel indicate there may be no longer an agreement.
Both sides believe one or the other has broken the truce and have not yet made new agreements because Hamas wants to follow the original truce that once was.
The agreement between US, Qatar and Egypt based on former President Joe Biden was discussed as follows:
Displaced Palestinians to return to their neighborhoods
Israeli troops to remain in Gaza’s border areas, such as the Southern Philadelphi Corridor, and leave the Netzarim Corridor, which is a military zone cutting off North Gaza.
Hamas to release 25 living Israel hostages along with eight dead hostages.
Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas Palestine’s leader Mahmoud Abbas are rejecting the first stage of the agreement, believing one or the other should surrender without coming to an actual peace settlement.
The US has taken part of Israel since President Donald Trump is set to end the conflict with Israel claiming ownership.
Israel continues killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians under Netanyahu’s leadership. Ultimately, the agreements that were going to be enforced may no longer continue.
A rise of Zionism began in the late 18th century, which called for a movement to migrate a Jewish state, invoking anger from the Arabs who already settled.
Territories that make up Palestine consisted of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip since the six-day war in 1967.
In 1916, Arab leaders revolted against and defeated the Ottoman Empire. In return, Britain gained control and allowed Arabs to become an independent state.
Jews contained a majority of the homeland in Palestine and the 1917 Balfour Declaration letter, by British Prime Minister Arthur James Balfour, declared the support of the homeland for Jews.
By 1947, the United Nations voted for Palestine to be split into separate states between Jewish and Arab Jerusalem in the meantime became an international city.
Arabs did not agree for Jews to contain more land due to an already disproportionate occupation of the land amongst Arabs and Jews. This pushed Britain to allow the UN to decide on May 14, 1948. Jewish leaders in Palestine became a smaller independent state now known as Israel once the British ended their partake.
In 1948, Israel declared its independence, and Arabs retaliated in a forceful attack.
In the following year, the war ended, and Israel controlled most of the territory, and the beginnings of new agreements came forward. Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip, Jordan occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israel occupied West Jerusalem.
Years passed and Jews left from Muslim countries across the Middle East and North Africa, migrating to Israel, then the Six-Day War occurred.
Israel feared an attack by Egypt and Syria and struck before they could do so, causing countries such as Gaza and the West Bank to be under Israel’s control.
In 1979, Israel signed a peace treaty between themselves and Egypt that declared the East Jerusalem as a part of Israel. This agreement happened to be the first to officially see Israel as a state. However, a large amount of the Arab community ignored the treaty.
Israel maintained control of the West Bank, but many of the towns in the country were overpowered by the Palestinian government.
Palestine’s government and Israel’s government argued about the settlements that were installed decades beforehand, both believing one should contain more land than the other. Israel argued that Palestine should not be a state because they believed it threatened the safety of Israel.
By July 2024, the International Court of Justice stated Israel’s step into Palestine was illegal and could not continue because it was seen as a breach of the agreement that was already installed.
In May 2024, 143 out of 193 members of the UN voted for Palestine’s full UN membership, meaning the opportunity for Palestine to have a seat but not a say in voting matters.
Gaza was also affected due to the amount of land it contained, but the residents in Gaza faced severe poverty since the time Egypt had taken over.
By 1967, Gaza was seized by Israel and placed under military control. Due to the amount of control Israel maintains in the Gaza Strip, the UN views Gaza as a part of Israeli territory.
Hamas gained control in 2006 and as years followed, the Israel and Hamas war intensified the conflict which regarded Israel trying to seize the Gaza Strip, border patrols, Palestine’s freedom, and right of return. Major wars happened in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, and today.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is only continuing as decades of extensive violent war occur with civilians bearing the war that is coming steadily ahead.
