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{{Further|List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2012|March 2012 Gaza–Israel clashes}}
AfterThe winningconflict in its current form is ongoing since the PalestinianIslamic legislativeparty electionsHamas ofwon the January 2006, Palestinian legislative election. Hamas eventually assumed complete power over the [[Gaza Strip]] in June 2007. The intervening period had been riven with inter-factional conflict, which culminated in a complete seizure of military control from its rival [[Fatah]]. In response, Israel closed Gaza's land borders in June of that year, making Gaza's economic and humanitarian position precarious.<ref>Raji Sourani, in Chantal Meloni, Gianni Tognoni (eds.) ''Is There a Court for Gaza?: A Test Bench for International Justice,'' T.M.c. Asser Press, 2012 p.17.</ref><ref name=AFP>{{cite news|title=Gaza, an impoverished and besieged sliver of land|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gBvUmtlSFnySdNXKCxRBH0Q1jorg?docId=CNG.cddd441c7c4ca34f51e4e1f72f107e16.271|accessdate=17 November 2012|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=16 November 2012}}</ref> [[Red Cross]] believes Israel's blockade is illegal under [[international humanitarian law]],<ref name="14 June 2010; BBC News - ICRC says Gaza blockade breaks law">{{cite news| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10306193 |work=BBC News | title=ICRC says Israel's Gaza blockade breaks law | date=14 June 2010}}</ref> UN report stated that the blockade was both legal and appropriate.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/02/world/middleeast/02flotilla.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|title=Report Finds Naval Blockade by Israel Legal but Faults Raid|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=November 19, 2012}}</ref> Although Israel withdrew its civilians and military personnel in 2005, the [[United States]], [[United Nations]] and [[Arab League]] consider Israel to be an occupying power in the territory.<ref>{{cite news|title=Is Gaza 'occupied' territory?|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/06/israel.gaza.occupation.question/index.html|publisher=[[CNN News]]}}</ref> [[Hamas]], a Palestinian [[Islamist]] armed group designated by the United States,<ref name=SD1>[http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/65462.pdf "Country reports on terrorism 2005"], [[United States Department of State]]. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. US Dept. of State Publication 11324. April 2006. p 196</ref> the European Union,<ref name="eu">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3100518.stm|title=EU blacklists Hamas political wing|publisher=BBC News|date=September 11, 2003}}</ref> Canada and Japan as a [[List of designated terrorist organizations|terrorist organization]], has called for the destruction of Israel since 1988, when it included this goal as a principle in its founding charter.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/03/12/us-palestinians-qaeda-idUSL1229777020070312 Hamas says still seeks Israel's destruction], Reuters 12-03-2007</ref> Norway,<ref name="norway1">{{Cite news|title=Norway turns down US request over Hamas representatives' visit|url=http://english.people.com.cn/200604/25/eng20060425_260826.html|publisher=Peoples Daily China|date=25 April 2006|accessdate=19 July 2008}}</ref> Russia<ref>{{Cite news|last=Eke|first=Steven|title=Moscow risks anger over Hamas visit|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4769204.stm|publisher=BBC|accessdate=18 May 2010|date=3 March 2006}}</ref> and Turkey<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=davutoglu-meets-hamas-chief-in-damascus-2010-07-20|title=Turkish FM Davutoğlu meets Hamas chief amid Israel row|publisher=Hurriyetdailynews.com|date=7 July 2010|accessdate=2 August 2011}}</ref> do not include Hamas in their lists of terrorist organizations.
In late 2008 and early 2009 a three-week armed conflict (the "[[Gaza War]]") took place, after a truce broke down which had largely held since June that year when six Hamas fighters were killed in an Israeli incursion into the Gaza strip.<ref name=BBCGI>{{cite news|title=Rockets fired after Gaza clashes|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7709603.stm|accessdate=18 November 2012|newspaper=BBC|date=5 November 2008}}</ref> At least 1,100 Gazans and 13 Israelis were killed in the conflict.<ref name="idf_updated_death_toll">{{cite news |last=Lappin |first=Yaakov |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=137286 |title=IDF releases Cast Lead casualty numbers |work=The Jerusalem Post|date=March 26, 2009|accessdate=6 June 2012}}</ref><ref name=ReutersGW>{{cite news|title=Israel hammers Hamas in Gaza offensive|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/14/us-palestinians-israel-hamas-idUSBRE8AD0WP20121114|accessdate=18 November 2012|newspaper=Reuters|date=14 November 2012}}</ref><ref name=NYTGaza>{{cite news|title=Israeli Air Assault on Gaza|url=http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/gaza_strip/index.html|accessdate=18 November 2012|newspaper=New York Times|date=Updated: 16 November 2012}}</ref> Israel's stated aim was to stop rocket fire into Israel, after 2378<ref name=Rockets2008-1 /> rockets and mortars were [[List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2008|launched from Gaza into Israel]] over an eleven month period. In the aftermath of Israel's operation, [[List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2010|rocket attacks in 2009]] plummeted to 190<ref name=Rockets2009-1 /> in all. Tensions between Israel and the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip continued, as the two sides experienced periodic fighting, and rocket fire on southern Israel has been on a steady rise: 375<ref name=Rockets2010-1 /><ref name=Rockets2010-2 /> [[List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2011|rocket attacks in 2011]] and 797<ref name=Rockets2011-1 /> [[List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2012|attacks in 2012]] (up to 13 November), forcing many of the estimated one million civilians in southern Israel to repeatedly head into bomb shelters and close their schools.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/newpop.html Latest Population Statistics for Israel](2012)</ref> According to Israeli human rights group, [[B'Tselem]], the Israeli security forces have killed 271 Palestinians in the Gaza strip between the end of [[Operation Cast Lead]] and 30 October 2012.<ref name="B'TselemCL">{{cite web|title=Fatalities after operation "Cast Lead"|url=http://old.btselem.org/statistics/english/Casualties.asp?sD=19&sM=01&sY=2009&filterby=event&oferet_stat=after|work=B'Tselem|publisher=B'Tselem|accessdate=18 November 2012}}</ref>
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