Three months after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, we review the key moments of the conflict
A Palestinian child cries next to his mother after being admitted to Nasser Hospital following an Israeli attack in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, November 13, 2023. (Photo: Mohammed Salem/Portal).
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 region.
According to Israeli authorities, the Israeli military launched an offensive against the Palestinian enclave after Hamas militants launched a brutal attack on Israel on October 7 in which gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 22,700 Gazans have died in the three months since the attack.
Here are some of the key moments of the conflict:
October 7th: Hamas attack. Hamas' surprise attack on October 7 was the largest terrorist attack in Israel's history. At least 1,500 Hamas fighters crossed the border with Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders. Shortly afterwards, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “at war.”
9th October: Israel orders a “total siege” of Gaza. Two days later, Netanyahu said the Israeli military would attack Hamas with force “like never before” with the aim of destroying the extremist group.
October 13th: a growing exodus. The Israeli military ordered 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to immediately evacuate their homes and stepped up its response. The United Nations estimates that up to 1.9 million people have been displaced since the conflict began.
Palestinians flee to safer areas in Gaza City after Israeli airstrikes on October 13, 2023. (Photo: Mahmoud Hams/AFP/Getty Images).
October 17th: Hundreds dead in a hospital in Gaza. A deadly explosion devastated Gaza's Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, which was housing thousands of displaced people. CNN determined that the explosion was likely due to the malfunction of a rocket fired by Palestinian militants and not an Israeli attack.
October 27th: Israel is expanding its ground offensive. After a war fought largely from the air, Israeli forces announced they would “expand” their ground operations in Gaza.
15th of November: Attack on Al-Shifa Hospital. Israel launched a “targeted” operation against Hamas at Gaza's largest hospital, where thousands of Palestinians are believed to be seeking refuge. During the days of fighting, conditions in the hospital deteriorated rapidly. The raid sparked international criticism.
November 24th: a ceasefire begins. After days of careful negotiations, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended the fighting. As part of the ceasefire, groups of hostages held in Gaza were released daily.
December 1: The ceasefire collapses. A week later, the Israeli army resumed fighting against Hamas in Gaza, accusing the group of violating ceasefire conditions. Israel's focus began to shift from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip.
15th December: Hostages killed in botched raid. Israeli soldiers shot dead three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza after misidentifying them as a threat. The IDF said the shooting violated its rules of engagement and that the soldiers involved would face disciplinary action.
January 1st: Israel announces a 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, although a senior official warned that he expected fighting to continue throughout the year would stop over.