Three months after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, we look back at the key moments of the conflict
Three months have passed since the devastating Hamas attack that sparked Israel’s war in Gaza, and the deadly fighting has caused a major humanitarian crisis in the area.
The Israeli army began an offensive against the Palestinian enclave after Hamas fighters launched a brutal attack on Israel on October 7, in which gunmen killed around 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, more than 22,700 Gazans died in the three months following the attack.
Here are some of the key moments of the conflict:
October 7: Hamas attack. Hamas’ surprise assault on October 7 was the largest terrorist attack in Israel’s history. At least 1,500 Hamas fighters crossed the border into Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders. Shortly thereafter, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel is “at war.”
October 9: Israel orders “total siege” of Gaza. Two days later, Netanyahu said the Israeli army would attack Hamas with force “like never before,” with the aim of destroying the extremist group.
October 13: a growing exodus. The Israeli army ordered 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to immediately evacuate their homes, stepping up its response. Since the conflict began, the UN estimates that up to 1.9 million people have been displaced.
October 17: Hundreds dead in a Gaza hospital. A deadly explosion devastated Gaza’s Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, which was hosting thousands of displaced people. CNN found that the explosion was likely due to the malfunction of a rocket fired by Palestinian militants and not an Israeli attack.
October 27: Israel expands its ground offensive. Following a war waged largely from the air, the Israel Defense Forces announced they were “expanding ground operations” in Gaza.
November 15: assault on Al-Shifa hospital. Israel has launched a “targeted” operation against Hamas inside Gaza’s largest hospital, where thousands of Palestinians are believed to be taking refuge. Conditions in the hospital deteriorated rapidly during the days of fighting. The raid sparked international criticism.
November 24: a truce begins. After days of careful negotiations, a truce between Israel and Hamas puts an end to the fighting. As part of the truce, groups of hostages held captive in Gaza were released daily.
December 1: The truce collapses. A week later, the Israeli army resumed fighting against Hamas in Gaza, accusing the group of breaking the terms of the truce. Israel’s attention began to shift from north to south Gaza.
December 15: hostages killed in failed raid. Israeli soldiers shot and killed three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza after mistakenly identifying them as threats. The IDF said the shooting violated its rules of engagement and that the soldiers involved would face disciplinary procedures.
January 1st: Israel announces partial withdrawal. On the first day of the new year, Israel announced it would soon begin withdrawing thousands of soldiers from Gaza to prepare for a new phase of the conflict, even as a senior official warned he expected fighting to continue throughout the year.
2024-01-07 12:57:00
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