The war in Gaza was triggered by a Hamas attack, which turned out to be the worst in Israel's history. Exactly 2 years ago, members of the Palestinian militant group entered Israel and killed more than 1,200 people -- mostly civilians. Over 250 hostages were also taken.
Israel retaliated within 24 hours. More than 400 Palestinians were killed by October 8. Thus began a two-year siege of Gaza.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza by air, land and sea has killed at least 67,160 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.
Their data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that over half of the dead are women and children.
Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened, with homes, hospitals, schools and water networks in ruins.
Hundreds of thousands of homeless Gazans now shelter in overcrowded camps and open areas with little access to food, water or sanitation.
After two years of war, 72 percent of the Israeli public said they were dissatisfied with the government's handling of the war, according to a recent survey by the Institute for National Security Studies.
Israel has expanded its military reach over the course of the war, striking targets in five countries in the region, including Iran, and killing several senior Hamas figures and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Donald Trump's Gaza plan
With global pressure mounting to end the war in Gaza, US President Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point plan calling for a ceasefire, a release of all the hostages, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The plan prompted talks in Egypt, with Israeli and Hamas negotiators holding "positive" indirect discussions on Monday, according to two sources close to the Palestinian militants' negotiating team.
The Palestinian sources said the talks, which had lasted four hours on the first day, would resume in the Red Sea town.
In a brief statement late on Saturday, Netanyahu said he has sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalize technical details,” adding that “our goal is to contain these negotiations to a time frame of a few days.”
But Netanyahu signaled there would not be a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, something Hamas has long demanded.
