Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have been fighting since early October.
It began when Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza - the deadliest in Israel's history.
Israeli military operations followed, killing thousands in the Palestinian territories.
What happened when Hamas attacked Israel?
On the morning of October 7, waves of Hamas gunmen crossed the Gaza border and struck Israel, killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also fired thousands of rockets.
Among the dead were children, the elderly and 364 youths at a music festival.
Hamas took another 250 hostages to Gaza.
The BBC has also seen evidence of rape and sexual violence during Hamas attacks.
What and why is Hamas at war with Israel?
Hamas became the sole ruler of Gaza in 2007 after violently ousting political rivals.
It has an armed wing and was thought to have 30,000 fighters before the start of the war.
The group, called the Islamic Resistance Movement, wants to replace Israel with an Islamic state. Hamas rejects Israel's right to exist and is committed to its destruction.
Hamas justified their attacks as a response to Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people.
These include security operations at Islam's third holiest site - Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem - and Jewish settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas also wants the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt - which both countries say is for security reasons.
It has fought several wars with Israel since taking power, firing thousands of rockets and carrying out other deadly attacks.
In 2008 and 2014, Israel repeatedly carried out airstrikes against Hamas and sent troops into Gaza.
Hamas, or in some cases its armed wing alone, is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the United States, the EU, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Iran supports Hamas with funding, weapons and training.
Why is Israel fighting in Gaza?
In response to the Hamas attack, Israel immediately launched a massive campaign of airstrikes targeting Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's goal was to destroy Hamas and bring back the hostages.
Israel launched a ground invasion three weeks later. It also bombarded Gaza from the sea.
The attacks were primarily focused on northern Gaza, particularly Gaza City and its tunnels below, which Israel said were the center of Hamas military operations.
1.1 million people living in the north have been ordered by Israel to move to the south for their safety.
Displaced Gazans gather in camps across Rafah
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According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli attacks have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians and injured thousands more since the start of the war. It said most of them were women and children.
The IDF says it has killed nearly 9,000 Hamas fighters, in addition to more than a thousand attackers inside Israel. How this figure was arrived at is not stated.
Israel says more than 230 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza.
Homes and other buildings in Gaza suffered extensive damage and destruction.
Who are the hostages and how many have been freed?
Most of the 253 men, women and children abducted by Hamas are civilians.
This includes the elderly and those with disabilities and medical conditions. The youngest was nine months old.
In Gaza, Hamas hid its fighters in tunnels and houses. Unconfirmed reports suggest that some have been captured by other militant groups.
During the November ceasefire, 105 hostages (81 Israelis and dual nationals and 24 foreigners) were released in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Four hostages were previously freed by Hamas and three were rescued by the IDF - one on October 29 and two on February 12.
Israeli soldiers mistook them for Hamas fighters and killed three hostages.
What is happening to civilians and hospitals in Gaza?
Israel cut off food, water and fuel supplies to pressure Hamas to release hostages.
This led to severe shortages in the population of Gaza.
Israel has since allowed humanitarian aid, medicine and limited amounts of fuel.
However, the amount of aid received in Gaza is far below pre-war levels.
The UN has accused Israel of blocking aid distribution, while Israel has blamed the UN for the problem.
The UN has described the situation in Gaza as "horrendous", with shelters overflowing and food and water running out. It also warned of a growing risk of famine.
Gaza's health system has collapsed.
Only 16 of its 36 hospitals are partially open.
They are overwhelmed by the large number of wounded and are struggling with shortages of personnel, medical supplies, food, fuel and water.
Where is the Gaza Strip and how big is it?
The Gaza Strip is a 41 km (25-mi) long and 10 km wide area between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
Formerly occupied by Egypt, Gaza was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.
In 2005 Israel withdrew its troops and about 7,000 settlers from the area.
Home to 2.2 million people, it is one of the most densely populated places in the world.
Only three-quarters of Gaza's population are descendants of registered refugees or refugees, the United Nations says.
Israel controls airspace over Gaza, its coastline and its shared border, and restricts the movement of people and goods.
What is Palestine?
The West Bank and Gaza are known as the Palestinian Territories.
Along with East Jerusalem and Israel, they formed part of the land known as Palestine from Roman times until the mid-20th century.
In 1948, part of Palestine became Israel, which was recognized by the United Nations the following year.
The West Bank - including East Jerusalem - and Gaza are recognized as Palestine by many countries and organizations, although it does not have UN member status.
Those who do not recognize Israel's right to exist call the West Bank, Jerusalem, Gaza and Israel Palestine.
The United Nations considers the West Bank and Gaza to be a single Israeli-occupied territory.
However, the two areas are administered by rival Palestinian administrations.
The West Bank is governed by limited self-rule by the Palestinian Authority (PA) under President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israel has overall control. The PA officially recognizes Israel. Hamas in Gaza does not recognize Israel.
What is the two state solution?
The future of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
An internationally supported plan for peace is known as the "two-state solution".
This would mean an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This Palestinian state will exist alongside Israel.
Israel's most important ally, the United States, sees a two-state solution as the way forward after the end of the Gaza war.
A two-state solution is also officially supported by PA.
However, since 1967, Israel has built approximately 140 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem housing approximately 700,000 Jews.
The settlements are considered illegal by the rest of the world, although Israel opposes them.
The PA insists that all settlements must be removed as part of any future peace deal.
Israel has never officially supported the idea of a two-state solution, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed it.
He said Israel must maintain full security control over the West Bank and Gaza.
Source: BBC News
