Hamas government in the Gaza Strip

Destroyed buildings are seen through the window of an airplane from the U.S. Air Force overflying the Gaza Strip, on March 14, 2024.

United Nations agencies have long warned that it could take decades to rebuild Gaza after Israel's offensive against Hamas, one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns since World War II.

With Gaza largely in ruins after more than 10 months of war, the Hamas-run territory's health ministry has struggled to count the death toll, which on Thursday surpassed 40,000.

Israel has repeatedly questioned the credibility of the daily figures put out by the ministry and U.S. President Joe Biden did so too in the early stages of the war.

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom stated today that “there can be no further delay” in conducting negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, warning “Iran and its allies” against any “new escalation” of the conflict.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, according to Reuters. Following Haniyeh's death, which Hamas attributes to an Israeli attack on his residence, Palestinian nationalist and Islamic groups have called for a general strike and mass protests.

Hamas has announced the signing of an agreement with various Palestinian organizations, including its rival Fatah, to pursue "national unity." The deal, which was signed in Beijing, has been described by China as a framework for joint governance of Gaza following the conclusion of the ongoing conflict.