Gaza has long been a powder keg. Here’s a look at the history of the embattled region

By JULIA FRANKEL
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Gaza has long been a powder keg, and it exploded after Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7 and began killing and abducting people. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed since the Hamas attack — mostly civilians slain during the incursion that also led to around 200 hostages being taken into Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 4,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. Israel has imposed a complete siege on Gaza, preventing the entrance of food, water and fuel. As Israel gears up for a ground invasion and pledges to topple Hamas, the futures of Gaza and the more than 2 million Palestinians who call it home look uncertain.