Here are ten key dates in the war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the unprecedented October 7 attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement from the Gaza Strip.
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According to the Hamas government, 22,600 people, mostly women and minors, died in Israeli retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip.
October 7th
At dawn on October 7, hundreds of Hamas fighters entered Israel from Gaza, carrying out massacres in border towns and a music festival.
According to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures, around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, were killed on the Israeli side. About 250 hostages and bodies are brought to Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to “destroy” Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel.
October 13th
After responding with massive bombings and a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, Israel on October 13 called on residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south.
According to the United Nations, 1.9 million people, or about 85% of the territory's population, are displaced.
October 17th
On October 17, there was a strike at the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that killed at least 471 people, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, and between “100 and 300” according to American intelligence.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad blame Israel, which denies this.
October 27th
The Israeli army will launch a ground campaign from October 27th. In addition, refugee camps such as Jabaliya (north) are repeatedly bombed, which, according to Hamas, causes dozens of deaths.
15th of November
The Israeli army, besieged on November 15, then took over Al-Chifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, where Hamas says it has set up a military command center, something the Palestinian movement denies.
Three days later, almost the entire hospital was evacuated.
November 24th
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas begins on November 24, which includes the release of 80 Israeli or binational hostages within seven days in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Twenty-five foreigners or dual nationals, mostly Thai agricultural workers, were also released.
The ceasefire allows larger convoys to enter from Egypt, but the United Nations says they are still not enough to deliver humanitarian aid.
December 4th
The Israeli army brought dozens of tanks into southern Gaza on December 4, where it has been carrying out increased airstrikes since hostilities resumed.
Ground fighting is raging in the cities of Khan Younes and Rafah.
December 8th
On December 8, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”
Two weeks later, the council will adopt a resolution calling for the delivery of humanitarian aid “on a large scale” to Gaza, where half the population is suffering from extreme or severe hunger, according to a report by the organization.
December 18th
On December 18, Washington announced the formation of a coalition aimed at countering “irresponsible attacks” against ships in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels, allies of Iran in solidarity with Hamas.
More than twenty countries are joining it.
January 2nd
On January 2, Hamas number two, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed near Beirut in an attack attributed to Israel.
This raises fears of a regional expansion of the conflict, while exchanges of fire on the Israeli-Lebanese border have occurred almost daily since the start of the war.