Timeline Of Israel-Hamas War: From Brutal Attack On Israel To Now, Via Thousands Of Deaths In Gaza

Despite the continued destruction in Gaza, and calls from other countries to end the bloodshed, Israel and Hamas are no closer to signing a ceasefire deal.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 7, 2023, when armed men from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, based in the Gaza Strip, stormed into southern Israel. The group killed 1,200 people and captured 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel struck back with full might, attacking areas believed to be controlled by Hamas in a bid to eliminate the group. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was at war and ordered airstrikes on Gaza, along with a total siege of the densely populated territory.

More than 41,500 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Gaza health authorities, reported Reuters. Despite the continued destruction in Gaza, and calls from other countries to end the bloodshed, Israel and Hamas are no closer to signing a ceasefire deal.

The Gaza war, which has also drawn in Israel's arch foe Iran and its proxies in the region, is the bloodiest chapter yet in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has spanned seven decades and contributed to instability in the Middle East. 

• In the early hours of October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli communities along the border with Gaza in an unprecedented assault that saw families, including children and the elderly, targeted in their homes. Several participants of a music festival were attacked as well. A video that went viral in the immediate aftermath showed Hamas militants mutilating the limp body of an Israel-German citizen who was abducted from the festival. She was eventually declared dead. 


• The same day, Israel launched an assault on Gaza, which began with airstrikes and set the stage for a ground invasion weeks later. In November, Israeli troops entered Gaza’s largest hospital, Al Shifa, after a siege lasting several days, during which medical staff said patients, including newborns, died due to a lack of power and supplies. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the hospital was being used to hide underground Hamas headquarters, a claim that was denied by the medical staff. In a few weeks, nearly all hospitals that served the northern half of Gaza ceased to function. 


• In November, Israel and Hamas had a week-long truce to exchange 105 hostages that were taken from Israel and around 240 Palestinian detainees in Israel.


• In December, Israeli forces launched their first big ground assault on southern Gaza, on the outskirts of Khan Younis.


• The same month, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. There were 13 votes in favour, and the United Kingdom abstained.


• Around 100 hostages remain in Gaza, of which at least a third are believed to be dead. 


• On January 11, 2024, the International Court of Justice heard opening statements in a case where South Africa accused Israel of committing a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population. According to Sky News, South Africa says it is doing so because it is horrified by Israel's conduct during this war and it needs to be stopped. But Israel says it is acting for political reasons and denied the accusation. 


• In April, there was widespread international concern over Israel’s plan to launch a military campaign in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million people had taken took shelter. The campaign began in May.


• On April 1, seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli military strike in Gaza.


• In May 2024, an Israeli strike in Rafah killed 45 people. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) later said it was aware of the reports regarding the casualties and added: "The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review."


• In July, United Nations cited independent experts to say famine had spread to all of Gaza. 


• On September 17, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members exploded. At least 12 people, including three civilians, were killed as a result of the attack, with around 2,750 wounded. The next day, at least 25 were killed and hundreds were injured when walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon. These attacks were reportedly perpetrated by Israel, and prompted a major escalation in the conflict.


• In late September, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon. 


• In the early hours of October 1, Israel crossed into southern Lebanon, beginning a ground offensive that much of the international community hoped would be avoided.


• Last week, Israel vowed revenge after Iran launched a wave of missiles on the country in a major escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. A salvo of around 200 ballistic missiles was fired by Tehran after the Israeli military launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.


• Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led a rare Friday prayer sermon in Tehran on October 4 to mourn Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. During the sermon, he said Iran and its regional allies would not back down, and called upon Muslim nations to "fasten the seatbelt" of resistance.