(AFP)

War in Gaza

Timeline of war

October will mark one year of war in the Gaza Strip, which began with a surprise attack by the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas across Israel’s southern border. Since then, the war has been marked by a series of military operations and diplomatic and political initiatives, unfolding into the deadliest campaign in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

By Alex Gendler | VOA News

(AFP)

Morning of October 7, 2023

Hamas launches deadly attack on Israel

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups announce a joint attack, citing Israel’s continued blockade of the Gaza Strip, settler violence in the West Bank and detention of Palestinians. Thousands of rockets are fired into Israel from Gaza while militants breach the southern border, using trucks, bulldozers, boats and paragliders.

October 7, 2023

Nearly 1,200 Israelis and foreigners are killed, 251 taken hostage

In addition to Israeli police stations, military bases and border posts, the militants attack civilian settlements and homes, as well as two outdoor music festivals.

October 7-9, 2023

Israel retaliates with a siege on Gaza

Caught by surprise, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soon begin a counterattack, forcing the militants to retreat while a state of emergency is announced and reservists are mobilized. Israel seals all Gaza border crossings, cutting off the enclave’s food, energy and water supply, and launching airstrikes against suspected Hamas sites.

October 8-11, 2023

War declared for first time since 1973

Israel’s Cabinet formally declares war against Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forms an emergency unity government with opposition leader Benny Gantz.

(AFP)

October 13, 2023

Airstrikes expand throughout Gaza

Northern Gaza’s civilian population of over 1 million is ordered to evacuate to the south as Israeli forces begin cross-border raids. However, Israeli airstrikes continue throughout the strip, including designated safe zones.

(Reuters)

October 17, 2023

Over 100 people are killed at Gaza’s Ahli Arab Hospital

While initial reports blame an IDF airstrike, later analysis suggests a misfired Palestinian rocket. The true cause of the explosion remains inconclusive.

(AFP)

October 21, 2023

Humanitarian aid restored

The Rafah border crossing, closed since October 9, reopens for limited humanitarian traffic in a deal brokered by Egypt.

(AFP)

October 27, 2023

The IDF begins a full-scale ground invasion of the Gaza Strip

Operating with the stated goals of destroying Hamas and rescuing the hostages, the IDF cuts off Gaza’s communications while engaging in a sustained campaign of airstrikes and shelling. By the end of October, one-third of the buildings in northern Gaza are destroyed or damaged, and nearly 10,000 Palestinians are killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

(Reuters)

November 1-14, 2023

Fighting intensifies as civilians come under attack

Cities such as Jabalia see heavy fighting between Israeli and Hamas forces. Meanwhile, the IDF draws international criticism for striking civilian targets with no apparent military connection, including an apartment building in central Gaza, an ambulance near Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, and a clearly identified Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) aid convoy. Israel has denied charges it targets civilians.

(Reuters)

November 15, 2023

The IDF raids Shifa Hospital

While the occupation of a hospital raises international outcry, Israel alleges the building is being used as a Hamas command center and releases video evidence of tunnels beneath the complex.

(AFP)

November 24-30, 2023

Temporary cease-fire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and US, begins

Hamas returns 105 hostages in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Efforts to extend the cease-fire collapse as the two sides accuse each other of violating terms and disagree on which further hostages can be released.

(AFP)

December 2023

Israeli forces continue their push into central and southern Gaza

Cities such as Khan Younis see the most intense fighting to date. By the end of the month, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 20,000 Palestinians killed – 1% of the population. Outrage rises in Israel when IDF soldiers mistakenly kill three hostages who approach their position waving a white flag.

(AFP)

January 22, 2024

IDF sees highest losses in a single day

Twenty-one reservists are killed while attempting to demolish buildings near Gaza’s southeastern border. Meanwhile, Israel reports it has dismantled Hamas military capabilities in northern Gaza, but the militants show signs of regrouping.

(Reuters)

January 26, 2024

Israel comes into conflict with international bodies

In response to a case brought by South Africa, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rules that Israel must take measures to avert genocide but stops short of ordering a cease-fire. The same day, Israel accuses staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of being involved in the October 7 attacks, leading the U.S. and other donor nations to suspend its funding.

(AFP)

February 2, 2024

Israel announces it will begin moving toward the southern city of Rafah

The announcement triggers international concern, as the city contains a vital border crossing and has become a refuge for Palestinians displaced from other parts of Gaza.

(AFP)

February 29, 2024

Over 100 Palestinians killed in ‘flour massacre’

The event occurs when Israeli troops fire at a crowd forming around a humanitarian aid truck. The IDF claims it only fired warning shots and most of the casualties were the result of a stampede.

(AP)

March 2024

Concern rises over impending famine

The United States announces it will build a floating pier to facilitate aid delivery by sea. Meanwhile, the ICJ updates its ruling, ordering Israel to ensure provision of food and medical aid.

(AP)

April 1-4, 2024

Humanitarian aid organizations suffer major blow

Seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen, including citizens of the U.S., Canada, Poland, Australia and the U.K., are killed by IDF missile strikes on their vehicles, leading several aid organizations to suspend operations. Under pressure from the United States, the Erez crossing at Gaza’s northern border is reopened for the first time during the war.

April 7-24, 2024

Israeli troops withdraw from most of southern Gaza

A brief period of calm after the announcement is followed by intensified airstrikes as the IDF prepares to attack Rafah.

May 2024

Israel approves Rafah offensive

The initial plan calls for a full-scale invasion, but due to U.S. opposition, it is scaled back in favor of encirclement and targeted raids. An ICJ ruling ordering a halt to the offensive is rejected by the Israeli government.

(Reuters)

June 8, 2024

IDF operation on the Nuseirat refugee camp rescues four hostages

Over 200 Palestinians are killed in the operation, reported to have been carried out with help from U.S. intelligence.

(AFP)

July 2024

Civilian casualties mount as IDF continues military operations

Dozens of Palestinians, including women and children, are killed in strikes on schools and refugee camps said by the IDF to be harboring Hamas militants. The UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City is also destroyed.

(AP)

July 31, 2024

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh is assassinated while visiting Tehran

The assassination is widely attributed to Israel, although the Israeli government does not directly claim responsibility.

(Reuters)

August 31, 2024

Limited truce agreed to allow for polio vaccinations

After Gaza reports its first polio case in 25 years, the two sides agree to observe a rolling cease-fire in specific areas to allow for a mass vaccination drive. The campaign succeeds in delivering the first dose of vaccination to 90% of Palestinian children in Gaza.

Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023

50,000

40,738 deaths

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0

Oct. 2023

Jan. 2024

April 2024

Aug. 2024

Source: Gaza Ministry of Health

Palestinian casualties surpass 40,000 as risk of regional war increases

After a year of fighting, the IDF claims that the military capabilities of Hamas have been destroyed, but a cease-fire agreement remains out of reach. Meanwhile, tensions with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen continue to escalate as the war risks spreading beyond Gaza.

Oct. 7 Hamas attacks

Violence against civilians
Explosions and remote violence
Battles

Source: ACLED

Oct. 7-9 Israel's response

Explosions and remote violence
Violence against civilians

Source: ACLED

Explosions and remote violence

Source: ACLED