A look back at almost 20 years of conflict between Israel and Hamas The current conflict between Israel and Hamas dates back to 2005, when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip. After winning the 2006 elections, Hamas took control of the enclave a year later following months of fighting between Hamas and rival Fatah forces. Since then, Israel and Hamas have clashed on numerous occasions, with civilians paying a high price each time. FRANCE 24 takes a look back at almost two decades of confrontation.