Israel and Hamas have been in regular conflict since the rise to prominence of the Palestinian Islamist group, created in 1987 at the start of the first Intifada uprising against Israeli occupation. Here is a timeline of some of the key moments.
Syria challenged the United Nations chief over the size and scope of a U.N. truce monitoring mission on Wednesday, resisting a larger presence as its army shelled targets in the city of Homs in violation of the ceasefire.
Western powers brushed aside Russian criticism of a U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution authorizing an advance team of U.N. observers to monitor Syria\’s fragile ceasefire and said on Friday they hoped to put it to a vote this weekend.
Despite a cease-fire that has held for about a day, Israel\’s military struck two sites in Gaza in retaliation for attacks on Israel following a cease-fire announcement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterating his policy of responding to Gaza violence, said that Israel \”will find\” whoever breaks the calm.
An Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and militant groups in the Gaza Strip was largely observed on Tuesday after four days of violence in which 25 Palestinians were killed and 200 rockets were fired at Israel.
Egyptian intelligence officials have been leading efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas in the last few days, in order to calm the escalation on the Israel-Gaza border.
Western and Arab nations will demand that Syrian forces implement an immediate ceasefire to allow relief supplies to reach desperate civilians in bombarded cities such as Homs when they meet in Tunis on Friday.
Israel and terrorist groups in Gaza reportedly agreed to a ceasefire.
The news that the two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hezbollah in July 2006 were returned to Israel deceased prompted an outpouring of sympathy by U.S. Jews and a pledge to continue fighting for Gilad Shalit\’s release
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