What is the Hamas group?
The Hamas armed group controls the Gaza Strip, a territory of about 365sq km (141sq miles) that is home to more than two million people and blockaded by Israel.
The group has been in power in the besieged enclave since 2007 after a brief war against Fatah forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The Hamas movement started as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and created a military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, to pursue an armed struggle against Israel with the aim of liberating historic Palestine.
EgyptAir suspends flights to Israel: Report
Egypt’s national carrier has suspended its flights to Israel, according to Cairo airport officials speaking to the Associated Press news agency.
The flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv are suspended until further notice, said two officials, who spoke to the agency on condition of anonymity.
EgyptAir normally operates a daily flight between Cairo International Airport and Ben Gurion International Airport, just outside Tel Aviv.
‘There’s no safe haven’: Gaza resident recalls overnight Israeli strike
Residents of Gaza woke up to more destruction in the Palestinian territory after continuous bombardment overnight.
“It was a tough night. We were waiting for our destiny,” Enas Wajeeh Qeshta, a resident of Gaza, told Al Jazeera.
Qeshta said that as the Israeli bombardment continued last night, her family gathered in one room, “so that if we are bombed, we can die together.”
