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Your Questions About the Israel-Hamas War, Answered

What to read to better understand what’s happening in the Middle East and how it fits into the long, bloody history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Updated: 10/11/23, 5 p.m. ET.

On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the largest attack on Israel since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, killing more than 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians, and taking more than 100 hostage. Israel has responded by ordering a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls, launching massive airstrikes on one of the most densely-populated areas on Earth and cutting off the territory from from food, water, and electricity. So far, Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians and displaced more than 263,000 people, the vast majority of them also civilians.

Deepen your understanding of the ongoing crisis with this guide to the best explainers and high-level analysis of the conflict, including a look at the key players, the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and what the fighting could mean for the future of the Middle East, and the world.

Image by Amir Levy / Stringer / Getty Images News

What’s Happening in Israel and Gaza? What Is Hamas? A Really Simple Guide

We explain the background to the militant group, the scale of their attack on Israel and what could happen next.

How Big Is This Going to Get? What to Watch for in the Israel-Hamas Battle

From the threat of a regional war to China’s strange diplomacy, there’s no end to the dilemmas ahead.

What Went Wrong? Questions Emerge Over Israel’s Intelligence Prowess After Hamas Attack

Israel’s intelligence agencies have gained an aura of invincibility over the decades because of a string of intelligence achievements against its enemies both near and far.

What Is the Gaza Strip? Who Controls It? Here’s What to Know

The Hamas attack that has killed hundreds was launched from one of the most densely populated and impoverished strips of land in the world.

Could the Attack on Israel Spell the End of Hamas?

What Israel’s response to Saturday’s incursion might mean for Palestinians—and their leaders—in Gaza and the West Bank.

Mapping the Conflict in Israel and Gaza

Visualizing the deteriorating situation in Gaza and how the surprise attack on Israel unfolded.

What an Israeli Ground Invasion Would Mean for Gaza

While Israel has not officially announced a ground operation in Gaza, observers believe that it is now inevitable.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Chronology

A wave of attacks by Palestinian militants on Israel, and Israel’s declaration of war against Hamas, has brought new attention to an old problem.

How to Avoid Misinformation About the War in Gaza

The war between Israel and Hamas has created the perfect online environment for misinformation to accelerate.

Live Updates | Israel-Hamas War

What to know as war between Israel and Hamas militants rages on.