Israel-Palestine conflict: A brief history

The US, the European Union and other Western countries have all condemned the Hamas attack on Israel. The US, Israel's closest ally, has over the years given the Jewish state more than $260bn in military and economic aid, and has promised additional equipment, air defence missiles, guided bombs and ammunition. It has also sent two aircraft carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean to deter Israel's enemies, particularly Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, from opening a second front in the war.