Israel, Hamas terrorists and the reoccurring battles around the Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip - or Gaza - is a 140-square-mile piece of land along the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Israel. It is comprised of the cities Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, Jabalia, Al-Nazlah and Gaza.

The Egyptians previously occupied the Gaza Strip by way of military rule from 1949 to 1956 and again from 1957 to 1967. The Israelis assumed occupation over the strip in 1967 during the Six Day War beginning with an airstrike that destroyed the Egyptian air force. The conflict began on June 5, 1967 and ended on June 10, resulting in Israel's possession of The Holy Basin including the Old City of Jerusalem and Gaza as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli forces recaptured areas near the Gaza Strip that had been overrun in a Hamas mass-infiltration over the weekend. ( )



Palestinians walk away from the kibbutz of Kfar Azza, Israel, near the fence with the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multifront attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Hassan Eslaiah)



Palestinians celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multifront attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Hassan Eslaiah)

"The Six Day War was one of the greatest victories in the history of Israel," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in 2017.

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The Gaza Strip, where millions of Palestinians presently reside, was later seized by Hamas, an Iranian-backed terrorist group that brutally opposes Israel's existence.

Violence between Israelis and Palestinians has occurred for years not exclusively to Israel, but also in Gaza and the West Bank, killing thousands of civilians in years past.

Hamas, classified as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department, has brutalized and killed thousands of civilians, including several Americans, during a surprise attack on Israel the morning of Oct. 7, firing rockets from the Gaza Strip. The sound of rocket launches could be heard in Gaza as residents reported armed clashes along the separation fence with Israel, near the southern town of Khan Younis.

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More than 100 Israeli civilians were taken by Hamas terrorists and are being held hostage in Gaza. Qatari mediators are negotiating with Hamas officials to release Israeli people that are presently captive. Hostages include civilians from ages of infancy to the elderly. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated he is aware of reports from Sunday that Americans may be among the hostages. As of Monday morning, the Biden administration has yet not confirmed the validity of this.

Palestinian demonstrators chant slogans during a protest against the territory's chronic power outages and difficult living conditions along the streets of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, July 30, 2023. Several thousand people briefly took to the streets across the Gaza Strip chanting "what a shame" and in one place burning Hamas flags, before police moved in and broke up the protests. (AP Photo)



Smoke rises after Israeli air forces targeting a shopping center in Gaza Strip, Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Strip launched after a Hamas offensive has killed at least 232 Palestinians, the territory's Health Ministry said on Saturday. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)



Smoke and flames rise during Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, April 7, 2023. (REUTERS/Ashraf Amra )

The Israel Defense Forces surrounded the Gaza border on Monday where tens of thousands of Israeli troops are stationed and have regained control of the area. The same day, Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Israel Katz ordered the water supply to Gaza Strip be cut off.

"I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip," said Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the IDF Southern Command in Beersheba. "There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed."

ISRAEL AT WAR: SEE THE PHOTOS, VIDEO OF THE ATTACK AND AFTERMATH

Gallant added, "We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly."

Beer Sheva, a city around 25 miles south of Gaza, is aiding wounded persons, including those in serious and critical condition.

Gabriele Regalbuto is an SEO editor at Fox News Digital. Gabriele has a Journalism and Communications degree from West Virginia University. She has worked to produce content for newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms. At Fox, she has assisted in coverage of breaking news events including the 2024 presidential cycle, 2022 midterm elections, Queen Elizabeth II's death, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.