Your primer to an issue in the news What? Israel has promised to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip, allowing fuel and medical supplies to be delivered. The UN had warned that the blockade could halt food aid to about 860,000 Gaza residents. When? The crossings into Gaza were closed on Thursday night in an attempt to pressure militants to stop firing rockets at Israel. Who? Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak eased the restrictions for one day to allow supplies in. But he said his country would continue to retaliate in response to attacks from Gaza-based Islamic group Hamas. Where? The Gaza Strip is a narrow area of land between Egypt and Israel. It is home to more than 1.4 million Palestinians and officially controlled by Israel. Why? Why are the two sides fighting? There has been tension between Israelis and Palestinians for decades. Although Israel withdrew its troops in 2005, Hamas wants total liberation from Israel's control. How? How can the situation be resolved? With Hamas frequently firing rockets into Israel and causing disruption, and Israel retaliating with shells and rockets which have killed large numbers of Gazans in recent months, the end of the dispute still seems a long way off.
