Modern wars · 2023 to 2025

Gaza War

Hamas's attack of 7 October 2023 killed about 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's assault on Gaza killed more than 72,000 Palestinians according to Gaza's health ministry.

The site of the battle on the 2026 map. Shaded: Countries hit by major wars since 1979, Gaza and the West Bank.

Key facts

When: 2023 to 2025
Where: Gaza Strip, Palestine
Sides: Israel vs Hamas
Result: Ceasefire from 10 October 2025, with violations
Type: Modern wars
Chapter: 7. The Modern Muslim World

The wider picture: Nation states and modern wars

Most Muslim lands won independence between the 1920s and the 1960s. Since then the region has seen more war than almost anywhere else: Israel's wars with its neighbours, two Afghan wars, the Iran Iraq war, American wars in Iraq, civil wars in Syria and Yemen, and in 2026 a war on Iran.

See the 2026 map Read chapter 7

More modern wars battles

All 18 modern wars in the muslim world battles · Battle explorer

Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us