Israel-Gaza conflict: What you need to know

Smoke rises after an Israeli missile strike hit the northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 17, 2014. Palestinian health officials say that in total, over 200 Palestinians have been killed. On the Israeli side, one man has been killed since July 8. (AP / Lefteris Pitarakis)

After 10 days of fighting, the Israeli military launched a ground operation in Gaza. As the violence escalates, here is what you need to know about the latest Gaza conflict:

What triggered this round of violence?

In June, the bodies of three Israeli teenagers -- Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16 – were found in the West Bank. Israel blamed Hamas for the murders, although the militant group denied any involvement.

Earlier this month, Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir was abducted in east Jerusalem and burned to death. Three Israeli suspects later confessed to the crime.

Amid the growing tensions, Hamas began firing rockets into Israel, and the Israeli military responded.

What is the Gaza Strip?

Gaza is a small Palestinian region on the Mediterranean Sea that borders Egypt and Israel. It covers 360 square kilometres and is densely populated with about 1.8 million people.

After the First World War, Gaza became a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was later administered by Egypt following the Arab-Israeli War in 1948.

The Gaza Strip was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and, decades later, transferred to the Palestinian Authority under agreements signed in the 1990s.

Israel occupied the Gaza Strip until 2005, when it withdrew its military outposts and thousands of settlers.

Hamas, an Islamic organization that won the Palestinian legislative election in 2006, has been controlling Gaza since 2007. West Bank, the other, separate Palestinian territory in the region, has been governed by the Palestinian Authority.

Earlier this year, Hamas and Fatah, the leading Palestinian political party operating out of the West Bank, signed an agreement to form a united Palestinian government.

What is Hamas and how did it come to power in Gaza?

Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 as a Palestinian branch of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. It is considered a terrorist organization in many countries around the world, including Israel, U.S. and Canada.

In early 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections. At that time, attempts to unite Hamas and Fatah failed, with Hamas taking control of all military and government institutions in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has been waging a war on Israel, while refusing to recognize the Jewish state.

Israel and Hamas have fought several wars since 2005. Since July 8, Hamas has launched nearly 1,500 rockets at Israel, according to the Israeli military.

Meanwhile, Israel has carried out about 1,900 airstrikes across Gaza.

Why is Israel launching a ground operation in Gaza?

An Israeli military spokesperson said the aim of the ground operation is to destroy Hamas’s rocket-firing abilities.

The military also said it wants to stop Hamas militants from infiltrating Israel through tunnels that cross the Israel-Gaza border.

Hamas has been using the underground tunnels -- some of which cross the border with Egypt -- to get weapons, materials and goods.

But because of Israel and Egypt’s blockade of Gaza, civilians also use the tunnels to get food and medical supplies.

How common are Israel’s ground operations in Gaza?

Thursday’s escalation of Israeli military action in Gaza is the first major ground operation in more than five years.

Israel’s last ground invasion took place during the Gaza War in January 2009. The brief war, also known as Operation Cast Lead, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 Palestinians. The total number of reported casualties has varied, depending on the source.

What does this all mean for the people of Gaza?

Since the start of the latest conflict, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed. The U.N. said earlier this week that about 80 per cent of those killed on the Palestinian side were civilians, including women and children.

Among them were four boys -- all cousins -- killed Wednesday as they played on the beach.

One civilian has been killed on Israel’s side.