Israel fights a seemingly endless war in Gaza’s most devastated region

Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — More than a year into a war that has ricocheted across the Middle East, Israeli troops are still battling Hamas in the most heavily destroyed and isolated part of the Gaza Strip. In northern Gaza, Hamas militants carry out hit-and-run attacks from bombed-out buildings. Residents say Israeli forces raid shelters for the displaced, forcing people out at gunpoint. First responders say they can barely operate because of the Israeli bombardment. The conflict has spread across the region, drawing in militants from Lebanon to Yemen, and nearly triggering all-out war with their key sponsor, Iran. But in northern Gaza it seems stuck in a loop of devastating Israeli offensives, followed by Hamas fighters regrouping.