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| What to Know About Gaza’s Latest Flare-Up | What to Know About Gaza’s Latest Flare-Up |
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| An eruption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants, once again, raised the specter of war in the Gaza Strip in recent days. | An eruption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants, once again, raised the specter of war in the Gaza Strip in recent days. |
| But by sundown Tuesday, Israel and Hamas — the Islamic militant group that controls the impoverished enclave — signaled a willingness to end clashes in a deal brokered by international parties. The tensions threatened a tenuous détente in the slow-burning conflict. | But by sundown Tuesday, Israel and Hamas — the Islamic militant group that controls the impoverished enclave — signaled a willingness to end clashes in a deal brokered by international parties. The tensions threatened a tenuous détente in the slow-burning conflict. |
| While the deal allowed a fragile calm to take hold, the violence was the worst since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. And it raised questions about how the two sides got here again and what the implications might be for any potential peace process. | While the deal allowed a fragile calm to take hold, the violence was the worst since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. And it raised questions about how the two sides got here again and what the implications might be for any potential peace process. |
| Here are some key things to know about the conflict. | Here are some key things to know about the conflict. |
| The latest clashes started after a botched intelligence mission by undercover Israeli commandos over the weekend. The covert operation ended in a firefight that left one Israeli soldier and seven Palestinian fighters dead. | |
| Hamas and other armed groups responded with force, launching rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel. One Palestinian was killed inside Israel on Monday and Israeli airstrikes killed five Palestinians in Gaza the same day. | Hamas and other armed groups responded with force, launching rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel. One Palestinian was killed inside Israel on Monday and Israeli airstrikes killed five Palestinians in Gaza the same day. |
| Since March, tensions have run high as large-scale Palestinian protests against Israel at the Gaza border fence erupted into violence. At least 170 Palestinians were killed over the months of clashes, mostly as Israel fired live bullets at protesters who approached the border fence. Palestinian demonstrators torched Israeli farmland. | Since March, tensions have run high as large-scale Palestinian protests against Israel at the Gaza border fence erupted into violence. At least 170 Palestinians were killed over the months of clashes, mostly as Israel fired live bullets at protesters who approached the border fence. Palestinian demonstrators torched Israeli farmland. |
| But in the months since the border clashes, multilateral talks aimed at resolving the standoff have eased the tension. Days before the latest clashes, Israel had shifted its tactics, alleviating a blockade of Gaza and allowing aid to flow into the coastal enclave. | But in the months since the border clashes, multilateral talks aimed at resolving the standoff have eased the tension. Days before the latest clashes, Israel had shifted its tactics, alleviating a blockade of Gaza and allowing aid to flow into the coastal enclave. |
| Gaza, a narrow strip of land five miles wide and 25 miles long, is home to nearly two million Palestinians who live largely cut off from the world behind a border fence controlled by Israel. | Gaza, a narrow strip of land five miles wide and 25 miles long, is home to nearly two million Palestinians who live largely cut off from the world behind a border fence controlled by Israel. |
| Gaza’s borders were drawn up as part of the 1949 armistice agreement between Egypt and Israel that halted a conflict over the creation of the state of Israel a year earlier. Egypt occupied Gaza until the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, when Israel seized the territory, sent in troops and established Jewish settlements. | Gaza’s borders were drawn up as part of the 1949 armistice agreement between Egypt and Israel that halted a conflict over the creation of the state of Israel a year earlier. Egypt occupied Gaza until the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, when Israel seized the territory, sent in troops and established Jewish settlements. |
| In 1994, after the Oslo Accords, which aimed to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and establish a Palestinian state, the first Gaza-Israel fence went up. In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza, removing its soldiers and vacating settlements. But it maintained control over the border. | In 1994, after the Oslo Accords, which aimed to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and establish a Palestinian state, the first Gaza-Israel fence went up. In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza, removing its soldiers and vacating settlements. But it maintained control over the border. |
| The border fence, which critics say virtually turns Gaza into an open air prison, has been a source of friction ever since, like the blockades imposed by both Israel and Egypt since Hamas seized power 11 years ago. | The border fence, which critics say virtually turns Gaza into an open air prison, has been a source of friction ever since, like the blockades imposed by both Israel and Egypt since Hamas seized power 11 years ago. |
| Conditions for Palestinians living in the territory have steadily worsened. The area is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled there after Israel’s founding. The 2014 Israel-Hamas war ravaged the territory further and left thousands of Palestinians dead. | Conditions for Palestinians living in the territory have steadily worsened. The area is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled there after Israel’s founding. The 2014 Israel-Hamas war ravaged the territory further and left thousands of Palestinians dead. |
| “The humanitarian situation was already disastrous,” said Christopher Gunness, the chief spokesman for Unrwa, the United Nations Agency responsible for the welfare of Palestinian refugees. “There’s more than a decade of an illegal blockade. It’s collective punishment.” | “The humanitarian situation was already disastrous,” said Christopher Gunness, the chief spokesman for Unrwa, the United Nations Agency responsible for the welfare of Palestinian refugees. “There’s more than a decade of an illegal blockade. It’s collective punishment.” |
| For those living in Gaza, the threat of war and isolation are near constant. War with Israel has broken out three times since 2008. | For those living in Gaza, the threat of war and isolation are near constant. War with Israel has broken out three times since 2008. |
| “It’s a conflict with a fence around it,” Mr. Gunness said. “There is nowhere that you can run, there is no where that you can hide.” | “It’s a conflict with a fence around it,” Mr. Gunness said. “There is nowhere that you can run, there is no where that you can hide.” |
| In the current climate, a solution that leads to broader peace appears to be out of reach, experts say. Long-term, internationally supported peace negotiations have been stalled since 2014, said David Makovsky, an expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. | In the current climate, a solution that leads to broader peace appears to be out of reach, experts say. Long-term, internationally supported peace negotiations have been stalled since 2014, said David Makovsky, an expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. |
| “You’ve had kind of an utter impasse,” Mr. Makovsky said, describing any attempt at peace as a “multilayer chess game” that would have to involve the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas. | “You’ve had kind of an utter impasse,” Mr. Makovsky said, describing any attempt at peace as a “multilayer chess game” that would have to involve the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas. |
| A Trump administration plan for peace, which the White House has pledged repeatedly to release, is believed to factor in Mr. Abbas. He is the political leader of the second Palestinian territory, the West Bank, and is seen as an important participant in peace in the region. | A Trump administration plan for peace, which the White House has pledged repeatedly to release, is believed to factor in Mr. Abbas. He is the political leader of the second Palestinian territory, the West Bank, and is seen as an important participant in peace in the region. |
| After Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, the two Palestinian territories have operated under different administrations. | After Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, the two Palestinian territories have operated under different administrations. |
| “Somehow, Gaza would have to become part of that Palestinian Authority orbit. But right now, they are completely two different systems,” Mr. Makovsky said. | “Somehow, Gaza would have to become part of that Palestinian Authority orbit. But right now, they are completely two different systems,” Mr. Makovsky said. |
| Meanwhile, monthslong multilateral talks aimed at calming the more immediate issue have had some short-term success. | Meanwhile, monthslong multilateral talks aimed at calming the more immediate issue have had some short-term success. |
| “There were good efforts here to have what I would call ‘calm for calm’, where the Palestinians would get more electricity and more fuel and in return the protests that are going on at the Gaza fence would abate, at least somewhat,” Mr. Makovsky said. “With what happened in the past 48 hours, it all seems to be up in smoke now.” | “There were good efforts here to have what I would call ‘calm for calm’, where the Palestinians would get more electricity and more fuel and in return the protests that are going on at the Gaza fence would abate, at least somewhat,” Mr. Makovsky said. “With what happened in the past 48 hours, it all seems to be up in smoke now.” |
| Leaders on both sides have indicated they are ready for the latest flare-up to end. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he was doing everything he could “in order to avoid an unnecessary war.” | Leaders on both sides have indicated they are ready for the latest flare-up to end. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he was doing everything he could “in order to avoid an unnecessary war.” |
| Ismail Haniya, the political leader of Hamas, said Tuesday that if Israel “stops its aggression,” it would be possible to return to the cease-fire understanding of before. | Ismail Haniya, the political leader of Hamas, said Tuesday that if Israel “stops its aggression,” it would be possible to return to the cease-fire understanding of before. |
| The parties involved in brokering the latest truce were Egypt, the United Nations Middle East peace envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, and diplomats from Qatar and Norway. | The parties involved in brokering the latest truce were Egypt, the United Nations Middle East peace envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, and diplomats from Qatar and Norway. |
| Some say the willingness of Israel recently to allow aid into Gaza could indicate a new effort to resolve the conflict peacefully. | Some say the willingness of Israel recently to allow aid into Gaza could indicate a new effort to resolve the conflict peacefully. |
| “The Israeli security establishment is kind of an interesting player here because they have fought three wars with Hamas and Gaza,” Mr. Makovsky said. “Their view is they are not looking for a fourth one.” | “The Israeli security establishment is kind of an interesting player here because they have fought three wars with Hamas and Gaza,” Mr. Makovsky said. “Their view is they are not looking for a fourth one.” |
| Isabel Kershner contributed reporting. |