Hamas leads a new battle to break the Israeli siege on Gaza.
Analysts expect a new round of fighting as Israel insists on linking Gaza reconstruction to the release of four Israelis held by Hamas.
Israel’s insistence on linking the reconstruction of the blockaded territory to the release of four Israelis held captive by Hamas, however, is complicating the group’s efforts to this end.
Hamas has captured two Israeli soldiers following the 2014 Israeli offensive on Gaza. Two other Israelis are believed to have been held by the Palestinian group after they entered Gaza under unclear circumstances.
Hamas and Israel engaged in 11 days of fighting in early May against the backdrop of an Israeli court verdict to evict Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem.
Although the Hamas-Israeli cease-fire still holds, observers foresee an outbreak of another round of fighting in light of the persisting tensions.