2023 Israel–Hamas war

2023 Israel–Hamas war
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An armed conflict between Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups and Israeli military forces began on 7 October 2023, with a Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed 1,400 Israelis and took 200 others hostage in a single day. Israeli military forces retaliated with extensive strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip. By the end of October more than 1,500 Israelis and more than 8,000 Gazans had been killed, including more than 3,000 children, and Israel launched an invasion of Gaza. The war was described by UNICEF as a “graveyard” for children.
The Hamas attack began in the morning of 7 October with a barrage of over 5,000 rockets launched from the Gaza Strip against Israel, while some 3,000 Palestinian militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, killing civilians in over a dozen massacres and setting fire to their homes, and attacking Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military bases near the Gaza Strip. At least 44 nations, mostly Western, characterized the surprise incursion as a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, Hamas declared that its attack was a retaliation to the "desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque," the Gaza Strip blockade, Israeli settlements and settler aggression.
The current war, the fiercest since the Yom Kippur War, is the fifth war in the Gaza strip, and part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In 2023, before the offensive started, an uptick in Israeli–Palestinian violence saw at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis and two foreigners killed.
According to the Israeli government, over 1,400 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, were killed on October 7, including 260 people at a music festival in Re'im. Over 200 civilians and captured Israeli soldiers were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip. After clearing Hamas forces from southern Israel, the IDF conducted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, as of 31 October over 8,500 Palestinians had been killed, mostly civilians, including more than 50 UNRWA staff. A total of 6,000 bombs were dropped by Israel during the first six days of the conflict, double the number of bombs employed by a US-led coalition against ISIS over one month.
There has been widespread killing of civilians, and human rights groups and a panel of United Nations special rapporteurs have accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes. Fears of a humanitarian crisis were heightened on 11 October, after Israel announced it would cut off food, water, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza, on top of the existing blockade by both Egypt and Israel. Israel urged 1.1 million Gazans to evacuate northern Gaza, while Hamas called on residents to stay in their homes and, according to the IDF, blocked roads leading south. The UN reported that around a million Palestinians, nearly half of Gaza's population, have been internally displaced.
A vote at the UN General Assembly on 27 October saw an overwhelming majority of nations calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. On 28 October, when Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza, aid agencies renewed warnings of an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Background
The attack took place during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah on Shabbat, and a day after the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War, which also began with a surprise attack.
Israeli politics
Benjamin Netanyahu had been Israel's prime minister for most of the two decades preceding the war, and was criticized for having championed a policy of empowering Hamas in Gaza. He has been accused of doing this to sabotage a two-state solution by confining the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority to the West Bank and weakening it, and to demonstrate to the Israeli public and western governments that Israel has no partner for peace. This criticism was leveled by several Israeli officials, including former prime minister Ehud Barak, and former head of Shin Bet security services Yuval Diskin. Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority were also critical of Israel under Netanyahu allowing suitcases of Qatari money to be given to Hamas, in exchange for maintaining the ceasefire. A Times of Israel op-ed argued after the Hamas attack that Netanyahu's policy to treat the Palestinian Authority as a burden and Hamas as an asset had "blown up in our faces".
After Hamas's attack in 2023, Netanyahu proposed an emergency unity government, with the judicial overhaul and all other non-emergency legislation and policy indefinitely suspended. An Israeli war cabinet was formed on 11 October, including opposition lawmakers such as Benny Gantz, the former minister of defense and former chief of the General Staff.
Palestinian politics
The Gaza Strip and Israel have been in conflict since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative election, and a civil war between Hamas and Fatah in 2007 culminated in Hamas gaining control over Gaza. In response to Hamas's takeover, Egypt and Israel imposed an extensive blockade of the Gaza Strip that devastated Gaza's economy. International rights groups have decried the blockade as a form of collective punishment, while Israel defended it as necessary to prevent weapons and dual-use goods from entering the territory. Since the blockade, Israel and Palestinian militants have had several clashes and made preemptive attacks on each other. The Palestinian Authority has not held national elections since 2006. A March 2023 poll of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank indicated that a majority supported the use of "armed struggle", the creation of "militant groups", and an intifada against the Israeli occupation.
Hamas leadership
According to Israeli security scholar, Ely Karmon of Reichmann University, Hamas leadership decided in May 2021 during the Temple riots to position itself as the defender of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy city of Jerusalem.
Ismail Haniyeh is a prominent figure associated with Hamas. He serves as the group's political leader and has been based abroad since 2019, with an unknown location. Haniyeh previously worked closely with Hamas's founder, Ahmed Yassin, who was killed in an airstrike in 2004. Haniyeh was elected as the head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017 and was reelected in 2021. In 2018, the U.S. State Department designated Haniyeh as a terrorist due to his close ties to Hamas' military wing and advocacy for armed struggle, including against civilians.
Mohammed Deif, the commander of the military wing of Hamas, has a history of audacious and deadly attacks against Israel. He is known for his ability to outwit the Israeli military, such as by adapting to Israeli military advancements by deploying low-tech responses, and operate with a long-term perspective, including holding Israeli hostages to create public pressure over time. Deif's background and personal details are largely shrouded in mystery, and he operates from the shadows of Palestinian militancy.
According to Michael Milshtein, an expert on Palestinian affairs from Reichmann University, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, is motivated primarily by apocalyptic thinking, where "[his] and all other Palestinian lives are in one long journey towards... freeing Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa, [and] eradicating Israel". Milshtein concludes that offering "Western" rationales for these actions is out of place: "[that] it's meant to hinder normalization with Saudi Arabia, or improve economic realities - these are all causes, not reasons. The action itself is the reason - the Jihad [and] destabilizing Israeli society - that's what's important."
Gaza tunnels
The tunnel network serves Hamas for storage, movement, and command. Hamas used hardwired phone lines within the tunnels for covert communication over two years, evading Israeli intelligence. The construction of these tunnels was a significant, multi-year effort involving Palestinian workers. Hamas initially began building its vast underground network of tunnels for smuggling in 2001, but they have since become multi-functioned. In 2014, Hamas employed 900 people for tunnel construction, funding came from commercial schemes with contributions from Iran and North Korea.
2023 local escalation
Over the course of 2023, before the attack, at least 247 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, while 32 Israelis and two foreign nationals had been killed in Palestinian attacks. Increases in settler attacks had displaced hundreds of Palestinians, and there were clashes around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a contested holy site in Jerusalem.
Tensions between Israel and Hamas rose in September 2023, and the Washington Post described the two "on the brink of war". Israel found explosives hidden in a shipment of jeans and halted all exports from Gaza. In response, Hamas put its forces on high alert, and conducted military exercises with other groups, including openly practicing storming Israeli settlements. Hamas also allowed Palestinians to resume protests at the Israel-Gaza barrier. On 13 September, five Palestinians were killed at the border. According to The Washington Post, Palestinians were attempting to detonate the device, whereas Al-Jazeera reported that a Palestinian Explosives Engineering Unit was working to deactivate the device. On 29 September, Qatar, the UN, and Egypt mediated an agreement between Israel and Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip to reopen closed crossing points and deescalate tensions.
Egypt said it warned Israel days before the attack that "an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big". Israel denied receiving such a warning, but the Egyptian claim was corroborated by Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Foreign Relations Committee, who said warnings were made three days before the attack.
Iranian role and the Israel–Saudi normalization talks
According to US intelligence reports, approximately 500 militants from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, received specialized combat training in Iran. The training was conducted by officers from the Quds Force, the foreign-operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Senior Palestinian officials and Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of Quds Force, were also in attendance.
At the time of the attack, Israel and Saudi Arabia were conducting negotiations to normalize relations. Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman said normalization was "for the first time real". Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said it had "repeatedly warned that Israel's ongoing occupation of Gaza would propel further violence". Following the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état in which military general Abdel Fattah el-Sisi deposed president Mohamed Morsi, Egypt–Hamas relations soured, with Egypt suggesting that ties between Hamas and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood could pose a national security threat.
Historical context
In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and citizens from the Gaza Strip, aiming to lessen its direct control over the area. The United Nations and several human rights organizations continued to classify Gaza as held under Israeli occupation, due to its effective military control over the territory. However, in 2007, Hamas seized control of Gaza by force, escalating tensions. Israel imposed a blockade, while Hamas tunneled under the border wall to launch cross-border attacks and fired rockets into Israeli territory. This led to multiple conflicts, escalating into outright wars. Israel relied on the Iron Dome rocket defense system for defense, and responded with targeted strikes into Gaza, aiming to minimize the militant threat.
The Associated Press wrote that Palestinians are "in despair over a never-ending occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza". In 2023 UNRWA statistics for Gaza reported 81% of people living below the poverty level, and 63% being food insecure and dependent on international assistance. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported roughly 6,400 Palestinians and 300 Israelis killed in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict, from 2008 through September 2023, before the start of this war.
Prior to the attack, Saudi Arabia warned Israel of an "explosion" as a result of the continued occupation, Egypt had warned of a catastrophe unless there was political progress, and similar warnings were given by Palestinian Authority officials. Less than two months before the attacks, King Abdullah II of Jordan lamented that Palestinians have "no civil rights; no freedom of mobility".
Simon Tisdall pointed to the uptick in Israeli–Palestinian violence in 2023 as portending war, and claimed that Netanyahu refused to negotiate for peace, adding fuel to the fire, and ignoring the rights of Palestinians.
Iranian officials publicly boasted for years about their role in arming militants in Gaza, and a 2020 U.S. State Department report said Iran funnels $100 million a year to Hamas.
According to an analysis in The Independent, the Gaza blockade created hopelessness among Palestinians, which was exploited by Hamas, convincing young Palestinian men that violence was the only solution. Daoud Kuttab wrote that Palestinian attempts to solve the conflict via negotiations or non-violent boycotts have been fruitless. For The Times of Israel, Tal Schneider wrote: "For years, the various governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu took an approach that divided power between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank—bringing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to his knees while making moves that propped up the Hamas terror group. The idea was to prevent Abbas—or anyone else in the Palestinian Authority's West Bank government—from advancing toward the establishment of a Palestinian state."
Hamas said its attack was in response to the blockade on Gaza, continued settlements, Israeli settler violence, and restrictions on movement between Israel and Gaza. Following the attack, American counterterrorism analyst Bruce Hoffman pointed to the 1988 Hamas Charter, alleging that Hamas had always had "genocidal" intentions and that it had no intentions for "moderation, restraint, negotiation, and the building of pathways to peace". Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University and a former Israeli military intelligence officer, argued that the attacks were "part of the long-term vision of Hamas to eradicate Israel" and that "Hamas is not ready at all to give up on the jihad".
Events
Hamas attack
At around 6:30 a.m. IDT (UTC+3) on 7 October 2023, Hamas announced the start of what it called "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", stating it had fired over 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel within a span of 20 minutes. Israeli sources reported that at least 3,000 projectiles had been launched from Gaza. At least five people were killed by the rocket attacks. Explosions were reported in areas surrounding the Strip and in cities in the Sharon Plain including Gedera, Herzliyya, Tel Aviv, and Ashkelon. Air raid sirens were activated in Beer Sheva, Jerusalem, Rehovot, Rishon Lezion, and Palmachim Airbase. Hamas issued a call to arms, with commander Mohammad Deif calling on "Muslims everywhere to launch an attack" and to "kill them [the enemy] wherever you may find them".
Hamas employed tactics such as using aerial drones to disable Israeli observation posts, paragliders for infiltration into Israel, and motorcycles, which was unusual for Hamas. Palestinian militants opened fire on Israeli boats, while clashes broke out between Palestinians and the Israel Defense Forces along the Gaza perimeter fence. In the evening, Hamas launched another barrage of 150 rockets towards Israel, with explosions reported in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion.
Simultaneously, around 3,000 Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza using trucks, pickup trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats, and paragliders. They took over checkpoints at Kerem Shalom and Erez, and created openings in the border fence in five other places. Initial images and videos showed heavily armed and masked militants in black fatigues riding pickup trucks and opening fire in Sderot, killing dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers. Other videos appeared to show Israelis taken prisoner, a burning Israeli tank, and militants driving Israeli military vehicles.
Massacres and attacks on civilians
Militants killed civilians at Nir Oz, Be'eri, and Netiv HaAsara, where they took hostages and set fire to homes, as well as in other agricultural communities. Over 200 civilians were killed in the Kfar Aza massacre, 108 in the Be'eri massacre (a loss of 10% of the kibbutz's population) and 15 in the Netiv HaAsara massacre, in what has been described as the bloodiest day in Israel's history and the worst single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. In Sderot, gunmen targeted civilians and set houses ablaze. In Ofakim, hostages were taken during Hamas's deepest incursion. Hamas said it took prisoners to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. In Be'eri, Hamas militants took up to 50 people hostage. During a stand-off between militants and IDF, videos from Be'eri showed hostages being led barefoot across a street in town. Hamas also massacred 260 and injured many more at an outdoor music festival near Re'im and took attendees hostage. Witnesses recounted militants on motorcycles opening fire on participants who were already fleeing due to rocket fire. Graeme Wood reported that the video footage retrieved from the body cameras of Hamas militants displayed several victims "in the beginning of the footage they are alive, by the end they're dead. Sometimes, in fact frequently, after their death their bodies are still being desecrated."
At least 200 people were taken hostage during the attacks, mostly civilians. Captives in Gaza include children, festival-goers, peace activists, caregivers, elderly people, and soldiers.
An Israeli spokesman said militants had entered Israel through at least seven locations from both land and sea, and invaded four small rural Israeli communities, the border city of Sderot, and two military bases. Israeli media reported that seven communities came under Hamas control, including Nahal Oz, Kfar Aza, Magen, Be'eri, and Sufa, and there were 21 active high-confrontation locations in southern Israel.
Attacks on military bases
Hamas militants carried out an amphibious landing in Zikim. A military base near Nahal Oz was also taken by the militants, leaving at least two Israeli soldiers dead and six others captured. The IDF said it killed two attackers on the beach and destroyed four vessels, including two rubber boats.
Fighting was reported at Re'im military base, headquarters of Israel's Gaza Division. It was later reported that Hamas took control of the base and took several Israeli soldiers captive, before the IDF regained control later in the day. The police station of Sderot came under Hamas control, with militants killing 30 Israelis, including policemen and civilians.
Israeli counterattack
The initial attack coincided with the Jewish holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, and appeared to have been a complete surprise to the Israelis. Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an emergency gathering of security authorities, and the IDF launched Operation Swords of Iron in the Gaza Strip. In a televised broadcast, Netanyahu said, "We are at war". He threatened to "turn all the places where Hamas is organized and hiding into cities of ruins", called Gaza "the city of evil", and urged its residents to leave. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted security assessments at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. Overnight, Israel's Security Cabinet voted to act to bring about the "destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad". The Israel Electric Corporation, which supplies 80% of the Gaza Strip's electricity, cut off power to the area. This reduced Gaza's power supply from 120 MW to 20 MW, provided by power plants paid for by the Palestinian Authority.
The IDF declared a "state of readiness for war", mobilized tens of thousands of army reservists, and declared a state of emergency for areas within of Gaza. The Yamam counterterrorism unit was deployed, along with four new divisions, augmenting 31 existing battalions. Reservists were reported deployed in Gaza, in the West Bank, and along borders with Lebanon and Syria.
Residents near Gaza were asked to stay inside, while civilians in southern and central Israel were "required to stay next to shelters". The southern region of Israel was closed to civilian movement, and roads were closed around Gaza and Tel Aviv. While Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon Airport remained operational, multiple airlines cancelled flights to and from Israel.Israel Railways suspended service in parts of the country and replaced some routes with temporary bus routes, while cruise ships removed the ports of Ashdod and Haifa from their itineraries.
Defense Minister Gallant told a Knesset committee that the war would have three main phases. A first phase involving airstrikes and a ground maneuver to "destroy operatives and damage infrastructure to defeat and destroy Hamas", a second phase eliminating pockets of resistance, and a third creating "a new security regime" in the Gaza Strip and surrounding area. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen stated that "the territory of Gaza will … decrease" after the war, leading to speculation that parts of Gaza may be annexed or a buffer zone established.
7 October
The IDF announced attacks in Gaza using fighter jets, targeting 17 Hamas military compounds and four command centers. The operation included strikes on the 11-story Palestine Tower in Gaza City. The IDF believed the building housed a Hamas intelligence unit, equipped with advanced electronic warfare devices for disrupting the GPS reception of Israeli smart bombs and Iron Dome counter-rocket defenses. According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the IDF also struck two hospitals, killing an ambulance driver and a nurse. Yasmin Porat, one of the hostages taken by Hamas, stated that Israeli civilians were 'undoubtedly' killed by their own security forces in the heavy crossfire. She said, 'They eliminated everyone, including the hostages.'
8 October
By the morning, Israel had struck 426 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The town of Beit Hanoun was mostly leveled by airstrikes, and the Al-Amin Muhammad Mosque was destroyed. Targets included housing blocks, tunnels, homes of Hamas officials, and the Watan Tower, a hub for internet providers in the area. One Israeli airstrike killed 19 members of the same family (including women and children); survivors of the strike said there were no militants in their area, nor were they warned.
Approximately 18 hours after the stand-off began, the IDF announced they had freed the hostages in Be'eri. In Urim, a suburb of Ofakim, two Israelis were rescued by the IDF. Four Hamas militants were killed, and three Israeli soldiers were injured during the rescue.
Another Hamas rocket barrage was launched in the morning, with one rocket hitting the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. Hamas also fired 100 rockets at Sderot. The DFLP said that they were engaged with Israeli forces in Kfar Aza, Be'eri, and Kissufim.
The Israeli government's State Security Cabinet formally placed the country under a state of war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The IDF said two hostage situations had been "resolved", and recaptured Sderot police station, killing ten Hamas militants. They secured 22 locations from Palestinian forces but were still trying to clear eight others, including the rest of Sderot and Kfar Aza. In one community, they rescued 50 hostages. Several Palestinian gunmen riding in a stolen car were killed in a shootout near Ashkelon. More Palestinian militants entered Magen, and 70 Palestinian reinforcements arrived at Be'eri.
Residents near Gaza were ordered to evacuate. Former brigadier general Gal Hirsch was appointed to lead recovery of missing and kidnapped citizens. The IDF called in up to 300,000 reservists, and said it aimed to eliminate Hamas's military and overthrow its rule in Gaza.
The IDF imposed a lockdown on the West Bank.
9 October
The IDF struck 500 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, including the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp, reportedly causing dozens of casualties, including children. IDF regained full control over Israeli towns bordering Gaza. Operations against militants continued in Sderot. Hamas said that it would execute Israeli hostages if Israel continued to bombard "civilian homes without advanced warning".
Defense Minister Gallant announced a "total" blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off electricity and blocking the entry of food and fuel, adding "We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly". Human Rights Watch called the order "abhorrent" and called on the International Criminal Court to make "note of this call to commit a war crime". The IDF said 15 communities around the Gaza Strip had been evacuated.
The Israeli Air Force deployed C-130 and C-130J transports across Europe to collect hundreds of off-duty IDF personnel to be deployed in the conflict.
Hamas fired another barrage of rockets towards Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with one rocket landing near a terminal of Ben Gurion Airport.
10 October
Israeli aircraft bombed the Hajj Tower in the Gaza Strip, which contained residences and offices for journalists, killing three journalists and injuring dozens.
Israeli forces reclaimed Kfar Aza and began collecting the dead, finding bodies of victims mutilated, with women and babies beheaded and burnt in their homes. The claims of beheaded babies has not been independently confirmed. The bodies of 40 babies and young children were taken out on gurneys, out of at least 100 civilian victims.
After issuing evacuation warnings to prevent loss of civilian lives, the IDF launched airstrikes at the al-Daraj and al-Furqan neighborhoods in Gaza, and the Port of Gaza. It attacked the al-Karama and Rimal neighborhoods of Gaza City, which hosted ministries of the Hamas-run government, universities, media organizations and aid agencies. Israeli warplanes also struck the Rafah border crossing linking Gaza and Egypt. The family residence of Mohammed Deif in Khan Younis was struck, killing his father, brother and at least two other relatives.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that the ministry was purchasing 10,000 rifles to arm security teams in border communities, mixed Jewish-Arab cities, and West Bank settlements. He added that assault rifles, helmets, and bulletproof vests were being distributed.
Hamas militants attacked another industrial zone in Ashkelon, where at least three of them were killed. Rockets were fired at Tel Aviv and Ashkelon.
11 October
Israeli warplanes struck and destroyed several buildings of the Islamic University of Gaza, saying that it had been turned into a weapons factory and training ground.
Israel formed an emergency war government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Gallant, and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz heading a war cabinet, with Gadi Eizenkot and Ron Dermer as observers.
Hamas fired rockets at Ashkelon. A rocket strike forced UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who was visiting the town of Ofakim, to run for cover. One person was injured and four buildings were hit in a rocket attack on Sderot.
An Israeli airstrike killed four IFRC paramedics inside an ambulance.
The Gaza Strip's only power plant ran out of fuel, and all supplies of gas and other types of fuel were cut off by Israel's and Egypt's blockade.
Israel struck the Gaza City port with white phosphorus artillery projectiles.
12 October
Israel said it bombed Hamas's elite Nukhba forces, their command centers, and the residence of a senior Hamas operative that it said stored weapons. Commanders from two smaller militant groups were also reported killed in airstrikes.
Four people were injured and seven houses were struck by a rocket attack in Sderot.
PFLP commander Awad "Abu Samud" Al-Sultan of the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades was killed along with some of his family in an airstrike on the Jabaliya camp by the IDF. In retaliation, the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades launched several rockets at Zakim military base.
A shooting took place in Jerusalem which injured at least 2 police officers, one seriously. The assailant was killed by Israeli police. The PFLP claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Israel Katz said that lifting of the Gaza blockade would not occur until the hostages abducted by Hamas were safely returned home.
13 October
Early in the day, the IDF issued evacuation warnings for communities north of the Wadi Gaza, including Gaza City, instructing people to move south within 24 hours. The evacuation of northern Gaza would involve the displacement of 1.1 million Palestinians, and was deemed impossible by the UN, who warned of "devastating humanitarian consequences". Shortly after the evacuation orders, UN facilities, including UNRWA, were instructed to move to Rafah. The Hamas Authority for Refugee Affairs responded by telling residents in northern Gaza to "remain steadfast in your homes and stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation".
Doctors Without Borders issued a statement calling the order to evacuate "outrageous" and "an attack on medical care and on humanity", and condemned the Israeli order "in the strongest possible terms". An OHCHR expert demanded that Israel immediately rescind its order, condemning the evacuation order as a crime against humanity and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, said that "forcible population transfers constitute a crime against humanity, and collective punishment is prohibited under international humanitarian law". The World Health Organisation released a plea "appealing to Israel to immediately rescind orders for the evacuation of over 1 million people living north of Wadi Gaza" arguing that it's extremely difficult to move patients in critical care, medical supplies are depleting and hospitals in south Gaza were "already beyond capacity". Similar statements were issued by UNICEF and the IRC.
Israeli Defense Minister Gallant called on Palestinians to leave northern Gaza, including Gaza City, saying: "The camouflage of the terrorists is the civil population. Therefore, we need to separate them. So those who want to save their life, please go south."
The IDF said it made localized raids into Gaza, attacking Hamas and searching for hostages.
NBC News reported on "top secret" Hamas documents with plans to target elementary schools and a youth center in Sa'ad, to "kill as many people as possible", take hostages, and move them into the Gaza Strip. The plans were provided to NBC by "Israeli first responders".
The International Committee of the Red Cross issued a rare public appeal for a pause in hostilities, saying that while "nothing can justify the horrific attacks Israel suffered last weekend" that "those attacks cannot in turn justify the limitless destruction of Gaza", and that Israeli orders to evacuate northern Gaza along with the total siege on the territory were "not compatible with international humanitarian law".
The IDF announced a six-hour window from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time for refugees to flee south along specified routes within the Gaza Strip. An explosion at 5:30 p.m. along one of the safe routes killed 70, including women and children. Some sources attributed it to an IDF airstrike, while CNN said the cause was unclear. The Jerusalem Post said open-source analysts believed the explosion originated from a car on the ground, but the cause was unclear. The Financial Times carried out an investigation, concluding "analysis of the video footage rules out most explanations aside from an Israeli strike", although it was "difficult to conclusively prove whether these blasts came from an IDF strike, a potential Palestinian rocket misfire or even a car bomb". Former US army officer Wesley Clark told CNN he would be "very surprised if that would be an Israeli explosion… It looks like something engineered by Hamas to intimidate its own people", and added Hamas was making efforts to impede the evacuation of Palestinian civilians, employing human shield tactics, and obstructing the exit of Americans from the strip via the Egyptian border.
The IDF stated Hamas set up road blocks to keep Gaza residents from evacuating south and cause traffic jams.
The Palestine Ministry of Health announced that al-Durrah Children's Hospital in eastern Gaza was evacuated after it said it was targeted by white phosphorus munitions. Israel denied that it had used such munitions.
The Israeli Intelligence Ministry drafted a ten-page paper, "Policy paper: Options for a policy regarding Gaza's civilian population", which suggested forcibly transferring Gaza's 2.3 million residents to the Sinai Peninsula; the report was leaked to the media two weeks later.
Second week (14–20 October)
On 14 October, the IDF said it had killed Hamas's head of aerial operations Murad Abu Murad in an overnight airstrike.
Israeli minister Gideon Sa'ar told Channel 12 News that Gaza "must be smaller at the end of the war" and that "there should be an area that is classified as a security zone where whoever enters is intercepted". He added: "We must make the end of our campaign clear to everyone around us. Whoever starts a war against Israel must lose territory."
On 15 October, Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Herzog said Israel was "in the process of establishing … a big humanitarian zone in the southern part of Gaza, with the UN" able to host hundreds of thousands of Gazans.
On 16 October, seven paramedics were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the headquarters of Civil Defense in Gaza City.
A spokesperson for Hamas said they are willing to release international hostages "the moment the conditions on the ground allow".
On 17 October, Israel bombed areas of southern Gaza. Ministry of Health officials in Gaza reported heavy overnight bombing in Khan Younis, Rafah and Deir el-Balah had killed over 70 people, including families who had evacuated from Gaza City in the north. On the same day, an airstrike killed a senior Hamas military commander Ayman Nofal.
An explosion occurred in the parking lot of the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in the center of Gaza City, burning some nearby vehicles. The cause of the explosion was disputed. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry attributed it to an Israeli airstrike and claimed it killed at least 500 civilians in the hospital. This claim was denied by the IDF, who asserted that the explosion resulted from a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, targeting the Israeli city of Haifa. Israel released footage of a rocket appearing to change course and flame out, followed by an explosion in the city below. The IDF also released what it claimed to be an intercepted phone conversation between Hamas militants acknowledging that the explosion was caused by a PIJ rocket. A PIJ spokesman denied any involvement.
On 18 October, President Biden said the Pentagon had independently concluded that the explosion was not caused by Israel, but by "the other team", based on data from the Defense Department. On-the-ground imagery taken after the blast showed minimal structural damage to the hospital and a shallow blast crater, inconsistent with an Israeli airstrike. The casualty figure reported by the Gaza Health Ministry was disputed by European, Israeli, and American estimates.
An Israeli strike hit a UNWRA school in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, killing six and injuring 12.
The United States announced $100 million in aid to Gaza and the West Bank, and called for crossings to Gaza to be opened for aid.
On 19 October, Israel bombed a building in the complex of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest church in Gaza, killing at least 8 people and injuring "a large number". Later that day, a US warship intercepted several cruise missiles and drones that had been launched from Yemen, whose target was supposedly Israel.
On 20 October, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visited the Rafah crossing. He called on Israel to open a "lifeline" of aid to Gaza, and defined the wandering and waiting of aid trucks as heartbreaking.
Two hostages with American citizenship were released at the border between Gaza and Israel.
Third week (21–27 October)
On 21 October, a convoy of 20 aid trucks entered Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah crossing with medicine, medical equipment, and some food. According to an Al Jazeera reporter, Israeli attacks had left holes in the main road, slowing aid buses or trucks, and Egypt was trying to make the road functional again. The crossing was closed again as soon as the convoy passed through. The UN secretary general said that the people in Gaza need "much, much more" supplies.
On 23 October, Hamas released two elderly Israeli women. 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz said the following day she was beaten on her way across the border, but treated kindly by her captors in Gaza.
On 24 October, Gaza's health ministry reported that over 700 Palestinians were killed overnight, and that the health system in Gaza was in "total collapse". The United Nations pleaded with Israel to allow more aid into Gaza.
In remarks to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern at "clear violations of international humanitarian law" in Gaza and also said that "It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation", leading the Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan to call for Guterres' resignation. Following this, Gueterres said that he was "shocked by the misrepresentations" of his statement, pointing out he had also said that "…the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas."
On 25 October, The New York Times published a video analysis casting doubt on the official Israeli and U.S. narrative on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion, saying a widely publicized video of an alleged Palestinian rocket breaking up in mid-air in fact showed the break-up of an Israeli rocket some miles away and was unrelated to the hospital incident.
Several members of the family of Al Jazeera Arabic's Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh were killed in an Israeli airstrike on 25 October in the Nuseirat refugee camp, south of Wadi Gaza, where they had been sheltering after following the Israeli order for Palestinian civilians to move south from northern Gaza. Al Jazeera condemned the killings, calling it an "indiscriminate attack". Dahdouh, speaking to Al Jazeera, said "There is no safe place in Gaza at all". The Israeli army confirmed it had conducted an airstrike in the area near where Dahdouh's family had been sheltering, saying they were targeting "Hamas terrorist infrastructure".
On 26 October Shadi Barud, the Deputy Head of Hamas Intelligence directorate, was killed by an airstrike. According to IDF he was responsible for planning the attack of October 7.
On 27 October, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that it had lost contact with its headquarters, disrupting Gazans' ability to contact emergency services.
Also on 27 October, the UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly for a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza and demanding aid access. The resolution attracted 121 votes in favor and 44 abstentions; 14 countries voted no, namely Israel, the United States, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Guatemala, Hungary, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga.
Invasion of Gaza Strip (27 October–present)
On 27 October, internet and mobile phone services in Gaza were almost completely cut off as Israel intensified its bombing campaign. Following this, the IDF launched a large-scale ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. Clashes between Hamas and IDF were reported near the towns of Beit Hanoun and Bureij.
On 28 October, Israel said that units deployed inside Gaza the previous night were still on the ground, marking the beginning of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Following the start of the invasion, Hamas Leader Ali Baraka said that the invading Israeli forces suffered heavy casualties and loss of equipment due to an ambush.
On 29 October, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, described as "deeply concerning" reports from the Palestinian Red Crescent that the al-Quds hospital had received an urgent evacuation warning along with a notice that it was "going to be bombarded". He reiterated that it was "impossible to evacuate hospitals full of patients without endangering their lives." Israeli airstrikes targeted the area around the hospital, filling parts of the building with smoke and dust, prompting staff to give breathing masks to some patients. Around 14,000 civilians were believed to be sheltering in or near the hospital. Associated Press reported that Israeli airstrikes also destroyed roads leading to the Al-Shifa hospital, making it increasingly difficult to reach.
Later in the day, Hamas claimed that Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli tanks in Salah al-Din Street in Gaza and forced them to retreat. The Institute for the Study of War also stated that Israel withdrew from the road.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Israel should take great care to distinguish between Hamas terrorists and civilians, who were not legitimate targets; President Biden would call Prime Minister Netanyahu later that day to reiterate this. In addition, Netanyahu should "rein in" violence from extremist Jewish settlers in the West Bank. A prosecutor of the International Criminal Court visiting the Rafah crossing announced the court had "active investigations ongoing in relation to the crimes allegedly committed in Israel" on 7 October, as well as in Gaza and the West Bank dating back to 2014.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli group representing the families of those taken hostage in Gaza, said that they supported a blanket release of all Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the return of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, said the group was prepared to release all Israeli hostages in return for the release of all Palestinian prisoners. The IDF spokesman dismissed the report as "psychological terror cynically used by Hamas to create pressure."
On 30 October, the IDF blocked the Salah al-Din Road, which is a major thoroughfare connecting the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. Additionally, Israeli tanks were spotted in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Witnesses reported, and a video showed, an Israeli tank firing on a taxi with a white flag on its roof that had attempted to turn around. An IDF spokesperson said they were "not shown any proof" that the vehicle was civilian, adding that "terrorists use civilian infrastructure like cars." The Gazan Health Ministry later said that three people had been killed.
On the same day heavy fighting occurred between the IDF and the Al-Qassam brigades alongside DFLP's National Resistance Brigades in northwest Gaza. The Al-Qassam brigades also used anti-tank missiles, and the National Resistance Brigades shelled Israeli vehicles and positions with high-caliber mortar fire.
On 31 October, the IDF bombarded the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 50 Palestinians and injuring at least 150; according to Israel, a senior Hamas commander and dozens of militants in a vast underground tunnel complex were among those killed. Hamas denied the presence of a senior commander. According to the IDF, the destruction of the tunnels caused the collapse of the foundations of several nearby buildings, leading to their collapse. Eyewitnesses interviewed by CNN and Der Spiegel spoke of "apocalyptic" scenes, with dozens of collapsed buildings, children carrying other injured children, and bodies lying in the rubble. The nearby Indonesian Hospital's surgical director said they had received 120 dead bodies and treated 280 wounded, the majority of them women and children. The attack was immediately condemned by the Egyptian, Saudi, Jordanian, and Qatari foreign ministries. Bolivia severed diplomatic relations with Israel, and Colombia, Chile and Jordan recalled their ambassadors. Josep Borrell Fontelles, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, wrote on the social media platform X: "I am appalled by the high number of casualties following the bombing by Israel of the Jabalia refugee camp."
On 1 November, the first group of evacuees left Gaza into Egypt. 500 evacuees, comprising critically wounded and foreign nationals would be evacuated over the course of several days, with 200 evacuees already waiting at the border crossing.
Other confrontations
Israel–Lebanon border
On 8 October, Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at the Shebaa Farms region; in response the IDF fired artillery shells and sent a military drone into southern Lebanon.
On 9 October, the IDF claimed to have killed several infiltrators from Lebanon and fired artillery across the border. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militia later claimed responsibility for the armed infiltration. Later in the day, renewed fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops resulted in the deaths of three Hezbollah gunmen and three IDF soldiers, including a senior officer. The IDF's Home Front Command ordered residents in 28 towns in northern Israel to seek refuge in bomb shelters. Artillery shelling was also reported from militants based in Syria.
On 10 October, Hezbollah fired an anti-tank guided missile at an Israeli military vehicle near Avivim, prompting a retaliatory Israeli helicopter strike. Shells from Syria struck Israeli positions in the Golan Heights, and Israeli forces returned fire.
On 13 October, the IDF fired artillery into southern Lebanon, after an explosion that caused minor damage to a section of the Israel-Lebanon border wall, near the kibbutz of Hanita. A Lebanese Reuters correspondent was killed and at least four other journalists were injured.
On 14 October, the IDF said it had killed three infiltrators from Lebanon in a drone strike near Margaliot. Later in the afternoon, Hezbollah shelled five IDF outposts in the occupied Shebaa Farms.
On 15 October, the headquarters of the United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura was struck by a rocket. Hezbollah launched five anti-tank missiles towards northern Israel, killing one civilian and injuring 3 others in Shtula. Lieutenant Amitai Granot, commander of the 75th Battalion of the IDF's Golan Brigade and son of Rabbi Tamir Granot, was killed in a missile attack on an IDF post bordering Lebanon.
On 16 October, the IDF announced the evacuation of residents of settlements two kilometers away from the Lebanese border. In the afternoon, Hezbollah opened fire on IDF positions near the border and claimed to be destroying surveillance cameras on several Israeli Army posts, prompting the IDF to respond with artillery. In the evening, anti-tank missiles were fired at an IDF tank. The IDF responded with artillery.
On 17 October, an anti-tank missile from Lebanon landed in the Israeli town of Metula. The IDF said it had killed four would-be infiltrators along the Lebanese border. Lebanese state media reported that the village of Dhayra and other areas along the western section of the border came under "continuous" bombardment overnight.
Syria
On 12 October, Syria said Israel launched attacks on the international airports of both Damascus and Aleppo. The airports were temporarily closed.
On 14 October, Israeli aircraft bombed Aleppo Airport in Syria again, causing it to close.
On 22 October, Israeli aircraft struck Aleppo and Damascus airports again, knocking both out of service. Two workers from the Syrian meteorology service based in Damascus airport were killed.
On 24 October, Israeli airstrikes killed eight Syrian soldiers and wounded seven more in Daraa Governorate after two rockets were launched from Syria.
From 7 to 30 October, there were 23 attacks on US forces in Syria and Iraq, which were believed to be connected to the war.
West Bank
Even before the war, 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in 20 years. From 7 October to 31 October, B'tselem said that Israeli forces had killed more than 100 Palestinians while Israeli settlers had killed at least seven leading to fears that the situation will escalate out of control. About 1,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced by settlers since 7 October and almost half of clashes have included "Israeli forces accompanying or actively supporting Israeli settlers while carrying out the attacks" according to a U.N. report.
By 10 October, confrontations between rock-throwing Palestinians and Israeli forces had left 15 Palestinians dead, including two in East Jerusalem. On 11 October, Israeli settlers attacked the village of Qusra, killing four Palestinians. A 16-year-old was fatally shot by the IDF in Bani Naim, while another person was shot dead by the IDF near Bethlehem. On 12 October, two Palestinians were killed after Israeli settlers interrupted a funeral procession for Palestinians killed in prior settler attacks and opened fire.
On 18 October, protests broke out over the al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion, with clashes reported in Ramallah. In Jenin, a 12-year-old girl was shot dead by crossfire from Palestinian Authority security forces, and another youth was injured by PA forces in Tubas. One Palestinian was killed in confrontations with Israeli forces in Nabi Saleh, and 30 others were injured across the West Bank. On 19 October, more than 60 Hamas members were arrested and 12 people were killed in overnight Israeli raids across the West Bank, including the movement's spokesperson in the West Bank, Hassan Yousef.
On 22 October, Israel struck the al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin, saying that it had killed several "terror operatives" from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who were planning attacks inside. Within a few days Ayser Mohammad Al-Amer, a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was killed during a clash with IDF in the Jenin refugee camp.
On November 1, Issa Amro stated the situation in the West Bank had become "very hard," noting, "All the checkpoints are closed. Israeli settlers and soldiers are acting violently with the Palestinians." The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned Israeli settler violence against Palestinians was on the rise.
Houthi involvement
Several strikes against Israel are thought to have come from Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. On 31 October, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the group had launched ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel, and that they would continue to do so "to help the Palestinians to victory" in an event that has been described as an effective declaration of war.
Casualties
Israel
Civilians and soldiers
Around 1,400 Israelis and foreigners have been killed since 7 October, including 326 IDF soldiers, 10 Shin Bet agents and 58 police officers and at least 5,431 wounded. The casualties also include approximately 70 dead or missing Arab-Israeli citizens, many of whom are Negev Bedouin.
On 7 October there were massacres at 10+ different kibbutzim where civilians resided and at an outdoor dance music festival. Over 260 attendees were killed at the psychedelic trance open-air "Supernova Sukkot Gathering" music festival near the Re'im kibbutz. It became the deadliest concert attack ever and the worst Israeli civilian massacre in its history. Over 100 civilians were killed in the Be'eri massacre, including children. At least 50–100 people have been reported killed in the Kfar Aza massacre, with the total death toll unknown. Many civilians were also killed in the Nahal Oz massacre. Nine people were fatally shot at a bus shelter in Sderot. At least four people were reported killed in Kuseife. At least 400 casualties were reported in Ashkelon, while 280 others were reported in Beer Sheva, 60 of which were in serious condition. In the north, injuries from rocket attacks were reported in Tel Aviv.
Hostages
About 200–250 people were taken hostage during the Israeli attacks, mostly civilians. On 8 October, Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to be holding at least 30 captives. At least four people were reported taken from Kfar Aza. Videos from Gaza appeared to show captured people, with Gazan residents cheering trucks carrying dead bodies. Israel reported four captives were killed in Be'eri, while Hamas indicated that an IDF airstrike on Gaza on 9 October killed four captives. According to Israeli officials, once Israel begins a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, it will be very difficult to reach an agreement on the release of the hostages.
Civilians believed to be held captive in Gaza include families, children, festival-goers, peace activists, caregivers, and elders such as 74-year-old Vivian Silver, a peace activist and former board member of the human rights organisation B'Tselem, who went missing following the attack on Be'eri. 75-year-old historian Alex Dancyg, who has written books on Poland's Jewish community and the Holocaust, was taken from Nir Oz. Also at Nir Oz, six members of the Silberman-Bibas family were caught on video being taken from their home; on 11 October, Hamas released a video showing three of them being let go near the border fence. On 16 October, Hamas released a video of one of its hostages, a 21-year old French Israeli woman who had sustained injuries to her arm and a scar. On 20 October, Hamas released an American woman and her 17-year-old daughter who were taken while visiting relatives in Nahal Oz.
According to a report sent to the International Committee of the Red Cross by the Geneva-based organization Hostage and Missing Families Forum, hostages include people with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia, autism and psychiatric disorders, who are "in urgent need of treatment and lifesaving medication", and are "prone to immediate mortality [without] essential medications and treatment". The report also expressed concern about untreated injuries induced during the attack.
An open letter published in The Lancet by a group of 1,500 Israeli health-care professionals expressed shock at "the greatest loss of civilian life since the establishment of the state of Israel", and the indiscriminate "barbaric rampage" through "entire villages in the south of Israel", which it termed a "crime against humanity". The letter called on the international medical community to "condemn the savage massacre, to immediately call for guarantees for the safety and health of all those being kept hostage, and to unequivocally call for the immediate and unconditional return of our families and friends who have been cruelly taken hostage".
On 28 October, Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida stated that they were "ready" to negotiate with Israel to resolve the hostage crisis. Obaida noted 50 hostages had so far been killed by Israeli airstrikes. Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, stated that they were "ready to conduct an immediate prisoner exchange deal that includes the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for all prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance." In a meeting with Netanyahu, the families of the hostages demanded he agree to an "everyone for everyone" prisoner exchange. There are currently 5,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 170 children. Many have never faced trial and are jailed under Military Order 101 and Military Order 278, which deem civic activities including protesting and waving flags as "terrorism."
Journalists in Israel
Yaniv Zohar, a photographer for the Israel Hayom newspaper who was the first to cover the abduction of Gilad Shalit in 2006 for the Associated Press's Israel bureau, was killed along with his wife, two daughters and father-in-law in Hamas's attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz on 7 October. His only son managed to escape. Yedioth Ahronoth photographer Roy Edan was killed along with his wife in Kfar Aza; two of their children were rescued after hiding in a closet but his three-year-old daughter is missing and is believed to have been taken to Gaza. Shai Regev, an entertainment editor for the Maariv newspaper, was killed in the Re'im music festival massacre, as was Ayelet Arnin, a news editor for KAN.
Multiple attacks against Arab journalists were reportedly committed by Israeli police. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that on 7 October, a television crew from Sky News Arabia was assaulted, and their equipment damaged by police in Ashkelon, with correspondent Firas Lutfi saying that police aimed rifles at his head, forced him to undress and evicted them from the area under escort after confiscating their phones. A crew from BBC Arabic was stopped, held at gun point, and assaulted by police in Tel Aviv on the night of 13–14 October.
Migrant workers
At least 50 migrant workers were killed due to Hamas's attack on 7 October and around 100,000 migrant workers are trapped in Israel during the conflict due to debt from huge fees they had to pay to recruitment agencies for getting jobs.
Palestine
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip suffered heavy civilian casualties from Israeli bombardment. Since the war began, 8,525 Palestinians (including 3,542 children) have been killed, 20,000 injured, and 1,600 missing are under rubble, totaling over 30,000, which is about 1.3% of Gaza's 2.3 million people. Within three weeks, the war became the bloodiest ever fought in Gaza’s history, eclipsing the combined death toll of the Second Intifada, Operation Cast Lead, and Operation Protective Edge.
There were reports of mass casualties resulting from an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalia Camp, where at least 50 people were killed. An Israeli airstrike at a United Nations school in the al-Maghazi refugee camp killed at least six people. Significant civilian casualties were reported following the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion. Other mass casualty strikes included the Church of Saint Porphyrius airstrike and the al-Shati refugee camp airstrike.
On 13 October, the Palestinian Ministry of Health noted 20 surnames had been removed from Gaza's civil registry, meaning every single person in that entire family had been killed. On 16 October, the UNRWA stated there were so many deaths in Gaza that there were no longer enough body bags. Because the morgues were so overcrowded, bodies were contained in ice cream trucks.
On 25 October, Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani noted the death toll of children in Gaza had already exceeded the total number killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's total civilian death toll was 9,614 as of 10 September 2023. In a statement, UNICEF regional director Adele Khodr stated Gaza's child death toll was a "growing stain on our collective conscience". On 30 October, Save the Children reported more children had died in three weeks in Gaza than in the entire sum of conflicts around the world in the past four years. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini briefed the UN Security Council, sharing the analysis by Save the Children.
West Bank
In the West Bank, related violence during the conflict killed 61 Palestinians and wounded at least 300. Several thousand Gazan workers were in Israel at the time when the conflict started. As of 16 October some of them were detained at a "holding facility" in the West Bank while others sought refuge in the Palestinian communities of the West Bank. The Minister of Labour for the Palestinian Authority estimated 4,500 workers are unaccounted for while Israeli media outlet N12 reported 4,000 Gazans were in Israeli holding facilities. The Palestinian Prisoners Society said that Israeli forces had arrested over 1,450 West Bank Palestinians since October 7. On 29 October, thirty Israeli human rights organizations addressed settler violence in the West Bank, asking the international community to "act urgently" to end it. On 30 October, the German government called on Israel to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. On 31 October, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell "firmly condemned" settler attacks in the West Bank. Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated the United States was "deeply concerned," and condemned the killings of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Death toll
On 25 October, US President Joe Biden stated he had "no confidence" in the death totals reported by the Gaza Health Ministry. In response, Human Rights Watch stated that after three decades working in Gaza and conducting its own investigation, it considers Gaza Health Ministry's totals to be reliable. Matthew Miller made a similar claim to Biden, despite the fact that the US Department of State cites the Gaza Health Ministry's death tolls in its own internal reports. On 26 October, the Gaza Health Ministry responded by releasing a 212-page document of 6,747 individual names and ID numbers, as well as 281 unidentified people who were killed.
Every death registered in Gaza is the result of a verified change in the population registry approved by the Government of Israel. The Israeli government notes that its "Population Registry Office works to update population registry files located on the Israeli side to match the files that are held" in the West Bank and Gaza. On 26 October, the United Nations humanitarian office added they use the Gaza Ministry of Health's death totals because they are "clearly sourced". Yara Asi, a professor at the University of Central Florida, called Biden's statement "appalling."
Journalists in Gaza
At least six Palestinian journalists in Gaza were reported to have been killed by Israeli attacks while in the line of duty. Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi, a photographer for Ain Media, was fatally shot during the attack on the Erez crossing on 7 October, while Mohammad Jarghoun, a reporter with Smart Media, was killed east of Rafah on the same day. Freelance journalist Mohammad el-Salhi was also shot dead on the border east of Bureij refugee camp on 7 October. On 9 October, Saeed al-Taweel, editor-in-chief of Al-Khamsa News website, Mohammed Subh and Hisham Alnwajha were killed by an airstrike while filming an anticipated attack in Gaza City.
Two other journalists were reported missing, and another was injured by shrapnel. The homes of two journalists were destroyed by shelling, and the offices of four media outlets were destroyed by airstrikes. On 19 October, the Committee to Protect Journalists stated 21 journalists were confirmed dead, eight were injured, and three were missing or detained. On 22 October, Rushdi Sarraj was killed by an Israeli airstrike on his home. On October 24, reporter Wael Al-Dahdouh lost his entire family due to an Israeli airstrike. On 27 October, the IDF told Reuters and Agence France Presse it would not guarantee their journalists' safety in Gaza. On 30 October, Al Jazeera correspondent Youmna El-Sayed received a threat from Israeli forces, leading the spokesperson for the UN-Secretary General to remark on the "immense courage" of journalists in Gaza.
A report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that Israel had targeted journalists who were clearly identifiable as press, in two 13 October missile strikes that killed a reporter and injured four. On 31 October, RSF said that 34 journalists have been killed in the conflict, including 12 "in connection with their work", ten of whom were killed in Israel's attack on Gaza; they described the first two weeks of the conflict as the deadliest start of a war of the 21st century for journalists.
Health and aid workers
On 11 October, UNRWA reported that nine of their workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike, and that its headquarters were being targeted by Israel. It said a school sheltering more than 225 people was struck. 11 members of UNRWA and five members of the Red Cross and Red Crescent were killed in Gaza since the start of the fighting. MSF said it had counted 16 medical personnel killed since 7 October. MSF said a nurse and an ambulance driver were killed, and several others injured in Israeli strikes on the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis and the Indonesia Hospital in Gaza City. A paramedic was reported to be in critical condition. The Indonesian Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) confirmed a staff member was killed near an operational MER-C vehicle. On 22 October, UNRWA stated 29 staff members had been killed in Gaza. On 30 October, the Palestinian Ministry of Health stated 120 medical staff had been killed in Gaza.
Militants
The Israeli Defense Forces estimated on 10 October that the bodies of approximately 1,000 Palestinian militants had been found inside Israel. Several Hamas leaders have been reported killed. Hamas co-founder, Abdul Fatah Dukhan, was killed. The following day, the head of Hamas's National Relations Office, Zakaria Abu Muammar, was reportedly killed in Khan Yunis. On 11 October, the IDF confirmed the death of Jawad Abu Shamala, who served as Hamas's economy minister, in a drone strike. Further, on 14 October, the IDF announced the killing of Hamas's head of aerial operations, Murad Abu Murad, in an overnight airstrike.
On 16 October, another member of the Hamas political bureau, Osama Mazini, was killed in an airstrike at his home. In addition to the targeted strikes on Hamas leaders. On 9 October, an airstrike in Rafah killed a local armed group leader. On 17 October, Ayman Nofal was killed. On 18 October, Jamila Al-Shanti, the first woman to be elected to Hamas's political bureau and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was killed in an airstrike in Jabalia. On 19 October, Jihad Muheisen was killed. Rafat Harb Hussein Abu Hilal was killed by an airstrike. On 22 October, the New York Times estimated that 13 Hamas officials were killed in airstrikes.
Lebanon
During clashes along the Israel–Lebanon border, an Israeli artillery strike on 13 October killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and injured six other journalists from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera. On 29 October, Reporters Without Borders reported Israel had intentionally targeted Abdallah. In addition, between 24 and 26 people have been killed in Lebanon.
On 23 October, Vice reported that an intervention by Hezbollah following the start of a ground invasion of Gaza would lead to Israeli army's resources being heavily stretched and that sustained rocket attacks by Hezbollah could greatly damage Israel's economy and military.
Humanitarian situation
In Gaza
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been termed a "crisis" and a "catastrophe". As a result of Israel's siege, Gaza faces shortages of fuel, food, medication, water, and medical supplies. The siege resulted in a 90% drop in electricity availability, impacting hospital power supplies, sewage plants, and shutting down the desalination plants that provide drinking water. On 13 October, UNRWA commissioner Philippe Lazzarini said, "The scale and speed of the unfolding humanitarian crisis is bone-chilling".
Israeli Major General (ret.) Giora Eiland, stated Israel had "no choice" but to make Gaza a place "impossible to live in." Eiland argued a "severe humanitarian crisis" was necessary, and that the Israeli military needed to make Gaza "a place where no human being can exist."
On 16 October, doctors warned of disease outbreaks due to hospital overcrowding and unburied bodies. On 18 October, the United States UN representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield vetoed a UN Security Council resolution urging humanitarian aid to Gaza. The World Health Organization stated the situation was "spiralling out of control".
On 20 October, Doctors Without Borders stated it was "deeply concerned for the fate of everyone in Gaza right now". On 21 October, a joint statement by UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, and WFP stated, "the world must do more" for Gaza. On 26 October, the World Organization stated Gaza's humanitarian and health crisis had "reached catastrophic proportions".
On 27 October, Gaza suffered a complete communications blackout. In response, ActionAid stated it was now "nearly impossible" for people to call or receive emergency services, noting they were "gravely concerned" for "all the people of Gaza." On 28 October, the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger stated she was "shocked by the intolerable level of human suffering."
Food
On 18 October, Alia Zaki, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme stated that "people are at the risk of starvation". On the same day, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a bakery in the Nuseirat Camp, killing four bakers. On X, journalist Refaat Alareer wrote the bakery was one of the last in the central and southern Gaza Strip. On 19 October, several bakeries were reportedly hit by Israeli airstrikes, making it even harder for residents to find food. On 21 October, the UN released a statement saying food stocks were "nearly exhausted". Cindy McCain, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, stated people were "literally starving to death as we speak". By 24 October, many bakeries had reportedly closed down, while those still open had hours-long lines. On 27 October, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme stated food and other basic supplies were "running out". By 28 October Israeli airstrikes had destroyed a fifth of the bakeries operating in the Strip. On 1 November, Israel bombed one of the last remaining bakeries in Gaza City.
Health
Physical health and disease
Public health experts warned of the outbreak and spread of disease in Gaza. According to Oxfam and the United Nations, Gaza's lack of clean water and sanitation would trigger a rise in cholera and other deadly infectious diseases. Oxfam noted Gaza's sewage pumping stations and wastewater treatment facilities had ceased operations, so the buildup of solid waste and unburied bodies were likely vectors of disease. Due to the lack of clean drinking water, Gaza residents were drinking water contaminated with sewage, seawater, and farm water, another major source of disease. Richard Brennan, regional emergency director at the World Health Organization, noted, "The conditions are ripe for the spread of a number of diarrhoeal and skin disease".
Doctors also warned of overcrowded conditions at schools and hospitals. Dr. Nahed Abu Taaema stated overcrowded shelters were "a prime breeding ground for disease to spread". Abu Taaema reported a rise in rashes, lung infections, and stomach issues. On 24 October, the Gaza Health Ministry recorded 3,150 cases of disease from drinking contaminated water, mostly among children. The lack of medical supplies was another reported issue, as the World Health Organization reported a sanitation crisis in hospitals, with some struggling to sanitize surgical equipment. Dr. Iyad Issa Abu Zaher stated, "The outbreak of disease is inevitable". UNRWA schools, where an estimated 600,000 Gazans were sheltering, reported outbreaks of scabies and chicken pox, as well as a lack of basic hygiene for women menstruating.
Psychological health
Weeks of sustained air strikes and explosions have contributed to the psychological traumatization of children in Gaza. Following 16 days of bombardment, children developed severe trauma, with symptoms including convulsion, aggression, bed-wetting, and nervousness. 90% of children in pediatric hospitals in Gaza exhibited or reported symptoms of anxiety, the majority exhibited post-traumatic stress symptoms, and 82% reported fears of imminent death.
Airstrikes
In just one week, Israel dropped more than 6,000 bombs on Gaza. Israel's airstrikes were described as a carpet bombing and "indiscriminate". By 16 October, airstrikes had killed 2,750 people, including more than 700 children, and wounded nearly 10,000. An additional 1,000 people were missing beneath rubble. On 16 October, Israeli airstrikes destroyed a UNRWA humanitarian aid supply depot. The same day, airstrikes destroyed the headquarters of the Palestinian Civil Defence, the agency responsible for emergency response services, including firefighting and search and rescue.
On 17 October, Israel conducted intensive airstrikes in southern Gaza, in areas it told residents to seek refuge. An airstrike at a UNRWA school killed at least six people. On 18 October, the Ahmed Abdel Aziz School in Khan Yunis was hit. On the same day, the death toll in Gaza had risen to 3,478. On 19 October, an Israeli airstrike hit the Church of Saint Porphyrius, where 500 people were sheltering. Israel "pounded" areas in south Gaza it had declared as "safe zones", raising fears amongst residents that nowhere was safe. On 19 October, U.S. officials reported alarm at Israeli comments about the "inevitability of civilian casualties", after Israel used the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as historical comparisons for their Gaza campaign.
On 20 October, Israeli continued to bombard south Gaza. IDF spokesman Nir Dinar said, "There are no safe zones". On 21 October, Israel intensified its airstrikes in advance of an expected ground invasion. On 22 October, Israeli airplanes bombed the areas around the Al Shifa and Al Quds hospitals on a night described as the "bloodiest" of the conflict so far. On 23 October, airstrikes killed 436 people in the al-Shati camp and southern Khan Younis in just one night. On 26 October, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel had "already eliminated thousands of terrorists – and this is only the beginning". On 27 October, the representative of the WHO stated more than 1,000 unidentified people were buried under rubble.
By 28 October, the Israeli Air Force bombed residential buildings without any prior warning, killing an estimated 50 people per hour. On 29 October, the IDF bombed the area around the Al-Quds hospital. Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert said that Israeli claims of hidden military complexes beneath Gaza hospitals were "lies, intimidating and scaring people, and excuses to bomb the hospitals." On 30 October, Israel bombed the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital. On 31 October, an airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp was described as a "massive massacre."
Water supply
Before the war Gaza purchased a small share of its water from Israel (6% in 2021). Israel's blockade of water pipelines exacerbated water supply issues in the Gaza Strip, which already had a near lack of fit-to-drink aquifers. On 12 October, the United Nations said that Israeli actions had caused water shortages affecting 650,000 people. On 14 October, UNRWA announced Gaza no longer had clean drinking water, and two million people were at risk of death.
On 15 October, Israel agreed to resume water supply, but only in southern Gaza. Because Gaza's water pumps require electricity, the agreement did not ensure renewed water access. On 16 October, Minister of Energy Israel Katz said that water was available near southern Khan Younis, but the Gaza Interior Ministry denied this. By 16 October, residents of Gaza drank seawater and brackish water from farm wells, raising fears of waterborne diseases. Doctors and hospital staff drank IV solution.
By 17 October, the UN noted Gaza's last seawater desalination plant had shut down. The Guardian noted fears were growing people had begun to die from dehydration. On 18 October, Israel announced it would not allow fuel to enter Gaza. The UNRWA stated fuel was needed to resume water pump operations. Some Gazans purchased water from private vendors who purified water with solar panels. On 19 October, the UN reported Gazans were surviving on a daily average of three liters of water each. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 50 to 100 liters per day. On 22 October, the UN stated Gazans had resorted to drinking dirty water. On 25 October, Oxfam announced Gaza had "virtually run out" of water. On 29 October, Palestinian Water Authority chair Mazen Ghoneim stated the water shortage would be alleviated, as Israel reopened a second water pipeline.
Displacement
On 10 October, the United Nations said the fighting had displaced more than 423,000 Palestinians, while Israeli airstrikes had destroyed 1,000 homes and rendered 560 housing units uninhabitable. By 15 October, an estimated 1 million people in Gaza had been displaced, many of them fleeing northern Gaza following Israel's mandated evacuation. Due to continued heavy Israeli bombing in south Gaza, some northern Gazan refugees moved back to Gaza City. On 19 October, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs noted 98,000 houses, or 1 in every 4 homes in Gaza, had been destroyed by Israeli bombardments. On 21 October, the UNRWA stated 500,000 people were sheltering in UN facilities, and conditions had grown "untenable". Many others sheltered in hospitals. By 22 October, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs stated 42% of homes in Gaza had been destroyed. By 23 October, an estimated 1.4 million people in Gaza had been left homeless. On 30 October, the Red Cross stated it would take years to rebuild destroyed homes and infrastructure.
Communications
On 27 October, Gaza underwent a near total communications blackout after Paltel's communication towers were destroyed in an Israeli attack. This cut off Gaza from any phone or internet service. As a result, humanitarian groups, including UNICEF, WHO, the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Doctors Without Borders, American Friends Service Committee, Medical Aid for Palestinians, and ActionAid lost all contact with their staff. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated wounded people would no longer be able to dial Gaza's emergency number for an ambulance. The Red Crescent stated it was "deeply concerned" about the ability of medics to provide care, noting it had lost all contact with operations room and staff in Gaza. On 28 October, Elon Musk offered to provide humanitarian groups with Starlink access, but Shlomo Karhi stated Israel would fight it with every "means at its disposal."
The UN humanitarian coordinator for Palestine, Lynn Hastings, noted that hospitals and aid operations could not operate without phone lines or internet. The Committee to Protect Journalists warned the world was "losing a window into the reality" of the situation in Gaza. Michael Lynk, a former UN rapporteur, stated one purpose of the internet blackout was to keep "the world blinded on what's happening." The WHO secretary-general Tedros Ghebreyesus stated he was "gravely concerned" by the blackout for the "immediate health risks" it posed to patients and for the safety of WHO staff. In a post on X, ActionAid wrote the blackout would make it "nearly impossible" for people to seek help, and noted they were "gravely concerned" for "all the people of Gaza."
Marwa Fatafta, policy manager of Access Now, stated that "taking Gaza completely off the grid while launching an unprecedented bombardment campaign only means something atrocious is about to happen." On 28 October, Netblocks stated Gaza's telephone and internet communications were gradually returning. On 31 October, Fatafta stated the blackout had been used by Israel to cover up potential war crimes as they began their ground invasion and called it a "warfare tactic to induce more pain on the population." Paltel announced Gaza had again been cut off from telecommunications and internet service.
Humanitarian aid
On 9 October, Israel implemented a complete blockade on Gaza, preventing the entry of any humanitarian aid. Egypt closed its border to prevent civilians fleeing, but said that it would allow aid to be delivered through its border. It designated El Arish International Airport in the Sinai Peninsula as a hub for international humanitarian aid. On 12 October, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged the swift and unobstructed delivery of life-saving provisions, such as fuel, sustenance, and clean water.
By 16 October, no aid had entered Gaza since the Israeli blockade was implemented. The IDF continued to bomb the Rafah crossing, as Israel declined to assure Egyptian authorities it would pause airstrikes for civilian aid convoys. In Israel, aid to Gaza was reportedly prevented by far-right politicians allied with Netanyahu. On 17 October, the UNRWA stated that there was currently "no water or electricity in Gaza. Soon there will be no food or medicine either".
On 18 October, Israel announced it would allow food, water, and medicine to be delivered to a "safe zone" in west Khan Younis in southern Gaza, distributed by the United Nations. Later the same day, US president Joe Biden announced Egypt agreed to allow 20 trucks with aid to enter Gaza by 20 October. More than 100 trucks of aid were waiting at the Rafah crossing to enter into Gaza. In a statement, Human Rights Watch stated that without electricity or fuel, however, the provided aid would fail "meeting the needs of Gaza's population". On 19 October, US Special Envo y David M. Satterfield stated the US wanted "sustained" aid into Gaza. The same day, a spokesman for Oxfam stated aid distribution in Gaza would be a "big challenge", and the UN reported at least 100 trucks a day of aid were needed. On 21 October, 20 trucks of aid entered Gaza. Antonio Guterres stated it was not enough to prevent an "humanitarian catastrophe". Martin Griffiths said the UN was working to develop an "at-scale operation". On 22 October, following the second delivery of trucks, Biden and Netanyahu stated aid would continue to be allowed into Gaza.
On 27 October, Lynn Hastings, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Palestine, stated Israel opposed the delivery of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza. As a result, UN staff would need to risk their own lives if it was determined such aid would be "lifesaving" to people in need. Philippe Lazzarini stated "soon many more will die" from Israel's blockade. On 28 October, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated "Israeli obstacles" were impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid. The United Nations announced the communications blackout had brought aid delivery to a "complete halt." On 29 October, a humanitarian zone was announced in the Khan Younis area, along with a claim that aid trucks would increase "significantly."
On 30 October, OCHA director Lisa Doughten pressured the UN Security Council for the use of extra entry points to Gaza, suggesting the Kerem Shalom border crossing as the only entry equipped for rapidly processing a sufficiently large number of trucks.
Healthcare
The healthcare system of Gaza faced several humanitarian crises as a result of the conflict. Due to Israel's siege, hospitals faced a lack of fuel and relied on backup generators for the first two weeks of the war. By 23 October, however, the Indonesia Hospital ran out of fuel and completely shutdown. Hospitals around Gaza also warned they would soon lose power completely, which would lead to the death of 140 premature babies in NICUs. The Gaza Health Ministry noted more than 60 medical staffers had been killed by Israeli airstrikes, as well as ambulances, health institutions, its headquarters, the Rimal Clinic, and the International Eye Center. The Medecins Sans Frontieres said it had counted 18 ambulances destroyed and eight medical facilities destroyed or damaged. On 24 October, a Health Ministry spokesman announced the healthcare system had "totally collapsed".
11–17 October
Following the shutdown of the Gaza Strip power station on 11 October, it was reported that hospitals in Gaza would soon run out of available fuel to power generators. On 14 October, the Diagnostic Cancer Treatment Centre of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was partially destroyed by Israeli rocket fire. In a statement on 15 October, the World Health Organization stated four hospitals were no longer functioning after being targeted by Israeli airstrikes. On 15 October, healthcare professionals warned if hospital facilities' generators stopped, patients would die when the power was lost.
On 14 October, Israel ordered the evacuation of 22 hospitals in northern Gaza. The WHO described the order as a "death sentence" for the sick and wounded. Doctors across northern Gaza stated they were unable to follow Israel's evacuation order, since their patients, including newborns in the ICU, would die. On 16 October, Doctors Without Borders president Christos Christou wrote that the situation in Gaza was "horrific and catastrophic. … No electricity, no medical supplies. Surgeons in Al-Shifa hospital are now operating without painkillers." On 17 October, a widely condemned explosion in the al-Ahli courtyard resulted in significant fatalities.
18–24 October
On 18 October, Doctors Without Borders stated severely wounded patients would die as the health system collapsed. On 19 October, the Ministry of Health asked for donations of liters of fuels to continue powering hospital generators, and Gaza's only cancer hospital announced it had "perilously low" levels of remaining fuel. Doctors noted pediatric patients had developed gastroenteritis infections due to the lack of clean water. Airstrikes hit the area around al-Quds Hospital. The Red Cross stated Gaza's entire health system was "on its knees". On 20 October, Doctors Without Borders stated thousands of people were at risk of dying "within hours" because it was "impossible" to give them medical attention. Doctors at al-Quds Hospital and the Palestine Red Crescent reported they received a call from the Israeli army to evacuate the hospital or "bear the consequences".
On 21 October, the Ministry of Health noted Israel had attacked 69 health facilities, 24 ambulances, put 7 hospitals out of commission, and killed 37 medical staff. Medical Aid for Palestinians and UNICEF issued an "urgent warning" that 130 premature babies would die if fuel did not reach Gaza hospitals soon. According to the UN Population Fund, there are 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza. A UN statement signed by five major branches stated deaths could soon "skyrocket" from disease and "lack of healthcare". On 23 October, the Indonesia Hospital ran out of fuel and completely lost power. On 24 October, a Health Ministry spokesman announced the healthcare system had "totally collapsed", with 65 medics killed, 25 ambulances destroyed, and many hospitals soon shutting down due to lack of fuel. The World Health Organization warned 46 of Gaza's 72 healthcare facilities had stopped functioning. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital faced a dialysis crisis, with hundreds sharing only 24 dialysis machines.
25–31 October
On 25 October, Dr. Ashraf al-Qudra, of the Health Ministry, stated the health system was "completely out of service". The Health Ministry stated a total of 7,000 sick and wounded hospital patients were facing death. On 27 October, a Red Cross medical team arrived in Gaza, bringing medical supplies, a war surgery team, and a weapons contamination specialist. The same day, the Al Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received a delivery of medical supplies, including antiseptic, injections, and medical mattresses, raising hopes more could be received "in the coming days". The IDF claimed military operations were hidden beneath the Al-Shifa Hospital. In response, former UN rapporteur Michael Lynk stated the IDF was preparing "public opinion for the attacks to come."
On 28 October, a communications blackout meant wounded civilians could not dial emergency services. Ambulances were then evenly geographically distributed to provide "faster access to the injured." On 29 October, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that it had received warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital as it was “going to be bombarded”. That day, an Israeli airstrike struck 20 metres (65 feet) from the hospital. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta wrote on X that he was increasingly treating patients with "distinctive phosphorus burns." On 30 October, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital was severely damaged by an Israeli airstrike. WHO announced it could no longer resupply al-Shifa and al-Quds hospitals due to the high levels of risk. On 31 October, the Health Ministry announced the generators at two key Gaza hospitals were hours from shutting down.
Since 1 November
On 1 November, the director of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital stated Gaza's only cancer hospital was "completely out of service" after it ran out of fuel to power its generator.
Countries ready to take Gaza refugees
Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, urged the international community to establish a refugee program for those fleeing violence in Gaza and said that Scotland was ready to offer sanctuary to refugees arriving in the UK. He also called on the UK government to create a resettlement scheme for Gazans and asked Israel not to resort to collective punishment. He also emphasized the need for medical evacuation support for injured civilians. Yousaf has personal ties to Gaza, with family members there. He stressed unity and safety for all communities in Scotland. There has been no official response on this matter from the UK. Scotland, with its autonomous governance, remains a part of the United Kingdom. European countries are wary of refugee influx due to recent pro-Palestinian protests.
Both Jordan and Egypt have expressed their reluctance to receive Palestinian refugees during the conflict.
King Abdullah II of Jordan warned against pushing Palestinians to seek refuge in Jordan emphasizing the need to address the humanitarian situation within in Gaza and the West Bank.
In the United States, there is a divide on accepting refugees from Gaza, with former President Donald Trump and Gov. Rob DeSantis opposing it while many Americans support helping Gaza civilians. Some Democratic Party lawmakers, including Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Bowman, emphasize the U.S.'s historical role in refugee acceptance and suggest being prepared to welcome Palestinian refugees who are not affiliated with Hamas. President Biden announced a $100 million aid package for Gaza civilians during his visit to Israel, demonstrating U.S. support amid international tensions.
In Israel
A Magen David Adom ambulance was reportedly taken by Palestinian militants to Gaza during their attack on 7 October. The Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon was struck by rockets from Gaza on 8 October and on 11 October.
As of 17 October, some 120,000 Israeli civilians from both southern and northern Israel were internally displaced, including almost all 30,000 residents of Sderot and residents of communities within four kilometers of the Gaza border. Evacuations of residents in communities four to seven kilometers from the border were ongoing. An unknown number of residents of northern Israel had moved towards the center of the country, fearing a second front opening up with Lebanon. As of 22 October, this figure was raised to 200,000.
War crimes
The International Criminal Court issued a statement on 10 October confirming that its mandate to investigate alleged war crimes committed since June 2014 in the State of Palestine extends to the current conflict. ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan visited the Rafah crossing and said "the ICC is "independently looking at the situation in Palestine," including "events in Israel and allegations that Palestinian nationals have also committed crime." The UN Human Rights Council said it had "clear evidence" of war crimes by both sides. A UN Commission to the Israel-Palestine conflict said there is "clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed in the latest explosion of violence in Israel and Gaza, and all those who have violated international law and targeted civilians must be held accountable".
In a 12 October preliminary legal assessment condemning Hamas's attacks in Israel, international humanitarian law scholar and Dean of Cornell Law School Jens David Ohlin said the evidence suggested Hamas's "killings and kidnappings" potentially violated Articles 6–8 of the Rome Statute as well as the Genocide Convention and were "crimes against humanity". On 15 October, TWAILR published a statement signed by over 800 legal scholars expressing "alarm about the possibility of the crime of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip".
The Israeli order to impose a "complete siege" on Gaza in which food, fuel and water would be denied was criticized as a blatant war crime by human rights organizations, with Tom Dannenbaum, co-director of the Center for International Law & Governance at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, writing that the order "commands the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, which is a violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime." Oxfam issued a statement that accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, saying "International Humanitarian Law (IHL) strictly prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare and as the occupying power in Gaza, Israel is bound by IHL obligations to provide for the needs and protection of the population of Gaza".
Independent United Nations experts condemned the Israel Defense Forces' actions in Gaza, saying Israel had resorted to "indiscriminate military attacks" and "collective punishment". Israeli authorities said that the airstrikes are intended to degrade the military infrastructure which is frequently constructed in close proximity to residential areas and civilian establishments. They also denounced the "deliberate and widespread killing and hostage-taking of innocent civilians" by Hamas, calling them "heinous violations of international law and international crimes". Israel's forced evacuation of northern Gaza also drew international condemnation. On 13 October, Paula Gaviria Betancur, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, termed it a "crime against humanity". On 14 October, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, characterized it as a "repeat of the 1948 Nakba", noting Israeli public officials' open advocacy for another Nakba.
Negotiations and diplomacy
Ceasefire
In support
On 27 October, the United Nations General Assembly voted for a resolution calling for an immediate truce. It received 121 votes in favor and 44 abstentions; 14 countries voted no, including Israel, the U.S., Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Guatemala, Hungary, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga.
Numerous heads of state, government officials, and international bodies have called for a ceasefire. On 8 October, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chair of the African Union, called for an end to the conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state. On 11 October, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for a ceasefire, stating, it was "urgently needed in defense of Israeli and Palestinian children". On 15 October, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for an immediate ceasefire. On 16 October, Pakistani Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar called for an immediate ceasefire and the end of the Gaza blockade. On 18 October, the Dáil Éireann passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire. On 19 October, President Xi Jinping of China stated, "The top priority now is a ceasefire as soon as possible", and called for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
On 20 October, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a ceasefire, stating Israel's attack on Gaza amounted to a genocide. On 21 October, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi presented a plan for a ceasefire. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for a ceasefire, stating "as South Africans we can relate to what is happening to Palestinians". Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani called for ceasefire at the Cairo Peace Summit. On 24 October, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for a ceasefire. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for a ceasefire and for Palestinians to be "treated as human beings". On 25 October, King Abdullah II of Jordan stated ending the war was an "absolute necessity". Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, called for a ceasefire and noted his own parents-in-law were trapped in Gaza.
On 19 October, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla called for a ceasefire, stating the war was the result of the "violation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people". Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for a ceasefire on 22 October. On 25 October, Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf called for an immediate cessation of bombing. Retno Marsudi, Indonesia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, called for an immediate ceasefire. On 26 October, the Foreign Ministers of nine Arab countries — the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Morocco — signed a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Various ambassadors and dignitaries also supported a ceasefire. On 18 October, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Ambassador for the United Arab Emirates, stated her country's support for "no less than a full humanitarian ceasefire". On 21 October and during a subsequent UN Security Council meeting on October 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stated, "the whole world" is expecting the UN to call for a ceasefire. On October 29, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire and release of hostages. On 31 October, Filippo Grandi called for a ceasefire.
In opposition
Both Israel and the United States rejected calls for a ceasefire. On 24 October, US President Joe Biden stated, "We should have those hostages released and then we can talk". On 30 October, Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, stating, "The Bible says that there is a time for peace and a time for war." On 25 October, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also rejected a call for a ceasefire.
Hostage negotiations
On 9 October, Reuters reported that Qatar was mediating talks between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of female Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel releasing 36 Palestinian women and children. Israel denied such negotiations were taking place. An Egyptian official told AP that Israel sought Egyptian assistance to ensure the safety of hostages held by Palestinian militants, and that Egypt's intelligence chief contacted Hamas and Islamic Jihad to seek information. Egyptian officials were reportedly mediating the release of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons in exchange for Israeli women captured by Palestinian militants.
United Nations
On 8 October, the United Nations Security Council held a closed-door meeting for 90 minutes on the conflict. The meeting concluded without the unanimity required for a joint statement to be released.
Diplomats, concerned that Israel has no plan post war and looking to limit the humanitarian crisis as well as prevent any regional expansion of the war, are urging delay of a full-scale land invasion of Gaza. Russia requested a United Nations Security Council vote on 15 October on a draft resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. The Russian draft was rejected while negotiations continued on a Brazilian draft resolution. On 18 October, the United States vetoed a UN resolution that "condemned the Hamas attack on Israel, called for humanitarian pauses in all attacks to allow the delivery of lifesaving aid to civilians, and called for Israel to withdraw its directive for civilians to evacuate the northern part of the Gaza Strip".
The US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution, sponsored by Brazil and supported by 12 of the 15 Council members, calling for "humanitarian pauses" to deliver aid to Gazan civilians. The UK and Russia abstained. Louis Charbonneau at Human Rights Watch said the US had again "cynically used their veto to prevent the UN Security Council from acting on Israel and Palestine at a time of unprecedented carnage". The US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, explained that the US wanted more time to let American on-the-ground diplomacy "play out", and criticized the text for failing to mention Israel's right to self-defense, in line with the UN Charter – a point echoed by UK Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward. Subsequently, on 25 October, China and Russia vetoed a US drafted resolution and a Russian drafted resolution was vetoed by the UK and US.
On 27 October the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that called for an "immediate and sustained" humanitarian truce and cessation of hostilities and condemned "all acts of violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terror and indiscriminate attacks". An amendment calling for condemnation of the 7 October "terrorist attacks" and immediate release of hostages was rejected.
Ambassador recalls
On 31 October, several hours after the Israeli Air Force bombed the Jabalia refugee camp, President Gabriel Boric announced that Chile would recall its ambassador from Israel. In his announcement, Boric condemned Israel's "collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population." Soon after, President Gustavo Petro announced that Colombia was recalling its ambassador to Israel. María Nela Prada, a minister in the Arce administration, announced Bolivia was severing all diplomatic ties with Israel. On 1 November, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi announced Jordan was immediately recalling its ambassador to Israel.
Military aid to Israel
Hours after Hamas's attack, U.S. President Joe Biden promised "rock-solid and unwavering" support to Israel. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an interview with ABC News, condemned Hamas's "massive terrorist attack" and stated, "We have immediately engaged our Israeli partners and allies. President Joe Biden was on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early yesterday to assure him of our full support." As Israel prepares to launch a possible ground invasion of Gaza, the Biden administration and leading members of Congress are preparing an aid package from the United States with about $2 billion in additional funding to support Israel, according to Time. On 12 October, Blinken went to Israel and met with its leaders as part of a visit that included upcoming meetings with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Germany sent two Heron TP drones to Israel. On 15 October, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered that approximately 2,000 troops be prepared for possible deployment to Israel, according to several defense officials.
On 19 October, US State Department official Josh Paul, who spent more than 11 years as the director of congressional and public affairs at the bureau which oversees arms transfers to foreign nations, resigned in protest at the US government's decision to send weapons to Israel.
Reactions
Reactions in Israel
Following the Hamas attack on Israel, the protest group Kaplan Force cancelled its protest against the Israeli judicial reform scheduled on 7 October, extending support to the IDF amidst the crisis. Other protest groups like Forum 555 and Brothers in Arms also urged reservists to serve if called up.
Adalah, a legal group which advocates for Palestinians living in Israel, has said that 50 Palestinians studying at academic institutions in Israel have been summoned to disciplinary committees due to perceived support for Hamas on social media, with some suspended from their studies. The newly created Civil Society Coalition for Emergencies in the Arab Community says that 30 Palestinian citizens of Israel have lost their jobs for the same reason. A number of construction sites in the Jerusalem Municipality prohibited Israeli Arabs from entering, including senior managers, stating that only Jews and foreign workers were permitted. Dalal Abu Amneh, a Palestinian singer born in Israel, was arrested by Israeli forces for posting "there is no victor but God" in Arabic, alongside an image of the Palestinian flag on social media. She was released on 18 October and placed under house arrest for five days. Adalah says that 100 Israelis have been arrested for posts supporting Palestinians in Gaza, with 70 remaining in detention as of 18 October. Israeli police said that at least 170 Palestinians (all citizens of Israel or residents of Jerusalem) have been arrested or brought in for questioning since the beginning of the war due to social media posts. According to Adalah, this is the highest rate of arrests in such a short period of time for 20 years. Content that has led to these arrests includes quoting from the Quran, prayers for peace, and political analyses of Israeli military actions. One person faced discipline from their school for posting about a family celebration on the day of Hamas's attack, according to Adalah.
Amidst the escalating violence, Magen David Adom initiated a blood donation drive and the Education Ministry closed schools on 7 October, transitioning to online learning from 15 October. Various events and performances were cancelled or postponed including the Haifa International Film Festival, a Bruno Mars concert, and football matches scheduled by UEFA. The Israeli energy ministry ordered Chevron to temporarily shut down the offshore Tamar gas field. Following a significant drop in the value of the New Israeli Shekel, the Bank of Israel announced that it would sell up to $30 billion in foreign reserves in its first ever sale of foreign exchange.
Investigations were initiated into the failure of Israeli authorities to prevent the attack, with criticism targeted towards Prime Minister Netanyahu for his inability to foresee and prevent the crisis.
To support the war effort, El Al announced special flights to retrieve vital personnel from New York City and Bangkok on 13 October. Schools advised parents to have certain social media apps deleted from their children's phones to shield them from violent war-related media. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi acknowledged military failures in preventing the attacks on 12 October.
The ethics panel of the Knesset voted to suspend left-wing politician Ofer Cassif for 45 days over what it deemed as anti-Israel statements in interviews he made after the war broke out. Following a rally in support of Gaza in Haifa, police commissioner Kobi Shabtai threatened to send antiwar protesters to the Gaza Strip. As of 18 October, 63 people have been arrested in Israel on suspicion of supporting or inciting "terror" since the start of the conflict, according to Israeli police. The Palestinian prisoners' rights group Addameer said that about 4,000 labourers from Gaza who were working in Israel were arrested by Israeli authorities along with 1,070 other Palestinians in overnight raids in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the start of the conflict, with most of the detainees from Gaza being held in Sde Teyman near Beersheva. Amer al-Huzail, a former mayoral candidate in Rahat, was arrested after sharing a map of the Gaza Strip on social media with an analysis of possible scenarios for an expected ground operation by Israeli forces.
A poll by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, conducted on 18–19 October, found that 65% of Israelis supported a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip and 21% opposed it.
Emergency unity government
On 11 October, an emergency unity government was formally announced between Likud and National Unity following a joint statement from the latter party, with Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and military chief of staff, joining a war cabinet also consisting of Netanyahu as Prime Minister and Yoav Gallant as Defence Minister. The statement said the unity government would not promote any policy or laws except those related to the ongoing fighting with Hamas. The war cabinet was approved by the Knesset on 12 October. It significantly reduces the influence of Netanyahu's previous far-right coalition partners over the conduct of the war, which was one of Gantz's demands. Haaretz reported that former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer would join the war cabinet as observers.
On 29 October, Netanyahu blamed security chiefs for Hamas's attack in a post on X (formerly Twitter); this was later deleted following criticism.
Reactions in Gaza
Reactions in Gaza ranged from anger at the international community's tepid response to outright fear. The territory faced numerous major crises. The Israeli blockade caused significant difficulties, including a lack of food, medicine, and water. Azmi Keshawi, a U.S.-educated researcher in Gaza, expressed outrage, stating, "How the hell did the entire world just watch and let Israel turn off the water?" On 19 October, Omar Ghraieb, an officer at Oxfam, noted his lack of food, water, or internet, writing, "Families are displaced, humanitarian situation is beyond dire, thousands killed & injured, hundreds of thousands are traumatized".
Gazans in Israel on work permits were unable to return to Gaza. In interviews, workers indicated they were subject to intensive police questioning and abuse. Speaking to The Washington Post, one man stated, "I can't stay here, eating and drinking while my children are dying. There is no electricity or water or anything. Let me die there between my children".
Due to the Israeli Air Force's intense bombardments, many Gazans expressed fears they could die at any time. In an interview, 22-year-old U.S. citizen Mai Abushaaban, said, "People are worried, people are essentially preparing to die". Muhammad Smiry, a journalist, wrote, "We are losing everyone and everything". Saeb al-Jarz, a 27-year-old engineer, said, "I just really, really want to live".
Among healthcare workers in Gaza, reactions ranged from grief to outrage. One doctor at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital stated, "This is really a genocide". Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrics doctor at Kamal Edwan Hospital, described the situation in Gaza as "really dangerous". Abu Safiya described the difficulties of compliance with Israel's mandatory evacuation order, as transferring the children would mean "handing them a death sentence". As a result of Israel's denial of clean water, he noted babies in his ward were experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Samer Tarzi, a doctor who survived the explosion at al-Ahli hospital, stated, "We collected bodies of children and many body parts. It's a sight that will remain in my mind even if I live a thousand years".
In response to the 27 October communications blackout in Gaza, Al Jazeera journalist Hani Mahmoud reported via satellite that the "fear just begins to mount." On 28 October, Mansour Shouman, a resident in Gaza, stated the public was "extremely angry" more aid had not been allowed into Gaza, noting his own family was drinking dirty water and suffering from malnutrition.
Dual citizens
When both of Gaza's border points were closed at the start of the conflict, foreign nationals and dual citizens were trapped. This included some 500–600 U.S. citizens, who reported the US Embassy provided little to no support to them. Lena Beseiso, a resident of Salt Lake City, reported the embassy said their "emergency line is for Israel". Emilee Rauschenberger, a U.S. citizen visiting Gaza with her husband and five children, stated, "The double standard is incredibly harsh". Amir Kaoud, stated, "America's not helping us, Biden's not helping us, the embassy is not helping us". Sammy Nabulsi, an immigration attorney in Boston, stated, "We are barreling toward a grave national tragedy, and the White House and the State Department do not seem to care". An Australian man trapped in Gaza with his family stated, "We are terrified that we may not live until tomorrow". Wafaa Abuzayda, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen, appealed for help for his child and complained that they had been unsuccessfully contacting the US embassy for two days.
Gazan officials
The Palestinian Education Ministry said schools in the Gaza Strip were closed until further notice. On 7 October, the Palestinian Health Ministry appealed for blood donations.
On 13 October, the spokesperson for Gaza's Interior Ministry said Israel had not been honest about only striking military targets, and that "everyone in Gaza is a target". Yahya al-Sarraj, the mayor of Gaza City, noted the Israeli siege was a violation of international law and urged the international community to "support the victims".
Hamas military aims
Hamas stated it abducted Israelis to secure the freedom of Palestinian prisoners, currently estimated to number between 4,499 and 5,200, including 170 children. Prisoner exchanges have long been practiced in the Arab–Israeli conflict. In 2006, Hamas exchanged Gilad Shalit for 1,000 Palestinians as part of a prisoner swap. Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera they had enough Israeli hostages to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida said they were holding captured Israeli soldiers in "safe places" and tunnels.
On 13 October, Hamas claimed its aim was to attack Israeli military bases and instructions were given to not target civilians. Hamas official Basem Naim denied any civilians were killed, saying that only Israeli soldiers were killed. A spokesperson for Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated they did not consider Israelis to be civilians, due to Israel's mandatory military service.
Senior Hamas official Khaled Mashal said that the group was fully aware of the consequences of attack on Israel, stating that Palestinian liberation comes with sacrifices.
Reactions in the West Bank
Initially, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asserted the Palestinians' right to self-defense against the "terror of settlers and occupation troops" and condemned the orders by Israel for residents to evacuate north Gaza, labeling it a "second Nakba". Later, Abbas rejected the killing of civilians on both sides, and said that the Palestinian Liberation Organization was the sole representative of the Palestinians.
Following the attack, celebrations occurred in Ramallah. Neighborhood watches were established in 50 locations amid fears of reprisals by Israeli settlers, while a general strike was called for 8 October. Seven Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces on 7 October, while 126 others were injured. As of 19 October, Al Jazeera noted that 76 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and Jerusalem, eight of them by armed Israeli settlers; the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 61 people have been killed and 1,250 injured in the West Bank. The Palestinian Prisoners Club said that 850 Palestinians, including lawmakers, prominent figures, journalists, and former detainees have been arrested by Israeli authorities since the start of the war.
Arab world
In contrast to previous Palestinian–Israeli wars, the initial part of the war was marked by a more muted reaction. Many governments in the region have strongly negative views of Hamas due to its affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood and its ties with Iran. This antipathy toward Hamas has had several impacts. The official reactions from many states in the Arab world, particularly states aligned with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in the beginning of the conflict were neutral and confined to press statements. News programs in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia did not book Hamas officials for interviews, however Arabic-speaking Jews were frequently invited. In speaking of the IDF, anchors in the UAE and Saudi Arabia originally stopped referring to it as an "occupation army" but just the Israeli army, and referred to Palestinian casualties as "victims" rather than "martyrs".
The public reaction in the Arabic world was markedly different from that of regional governments. Hamas definitively won the propaganda war by producing videos such as one featuring a militant forcing a Jewish child to say "in the name of God" in Arabic, after killing the child's mother, this video was viewed over 1.4 million times on Al-Jazeera's Facebook and received over 75,000 likes. Such videos were used as evidence that Hamas, unlike the Islamic State, followed Islamic law and aided in polarizing public opinion in the Arab world. Al Jazeera played a large role in magnifying Hamas' propaganda, and bringing it to a wider audience. During Hamas' initial attack, one of Al Jazeera’s most prominent journalists, Majed Abdulhadi, celebrated it as it happened by reciting a kind of prose poem. This loss of the propaganda war, combined with the Al-Ahli Hospital Explosion which was originally blamed on an Israeli airstrike had a disastrous effect on the burgeoning diplomatic relations between Israel and many Arab states which were keen to avoid antagonizing their public and causing domestic unrest. Many regional governments which were originally circumspect in blaming both Hamas' and Israel's actions became more forceful in only blaming Israel and many government-sponsored news agencies such as Al Arabiya and Sky News Arabia which initially resisted Hamas's story line became more pliant as a result of public opinion and began to present a more pro-Hamas story line.
There have been numerous rallies in support of the Palestinians, nevertheless populism and polarization have also tempered public reaction in certain parts of the region. While many Lebanese and Syrians are sympathetic to the Palestinians, Hamas's affiliation with Iran and Hezbollah, which are hated by many due to their actions in the Syrian Civil War and the 2006 Lebanon War, makes the population less sympathetic to the current war. Many in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt also fear that they may unwillingly be drawn in to the conflict through the actions of Hezbollah and Iran. In Egypt populist pro-government talk show hosts have railed against the Hamas and Palestinian cause asking viewers, why Egyptians should suffer to help Palestinians. Egypt, despite having being pressed by the United States, refused to accept refugees from Gaza both for fear of security issues since Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups shares ties with militants in the Sinai, as well as for fear that a temporary refugee situation may turn permanent.
Iran
Iran has praised the attack while being cautious to distance itself from the planning and execution of it. Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad told the BBC that Hamas had direct backing for the attack from Iran; European, Iranian and Syrian officers corroborated Iran's involvement, while senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mirdawi said the group planned the attacks on its own. The Israeli army and the United States say that there is no evidence that Iran is connected with the attack by Hamas. American intelligence appeared to show that Hamas's attack on Israel caught Iranian authorities by surprise.
According to a report by Al-Monitor, since the start of the war between Israel and the Gaza militias, Iran has tried to show a face of disinterest in the spillover of the conflict, and on the other hand, it has pursued an active diplomatic campaign to isolate Israel. Supporting the cause of Palestine has been one of the ideological principles of Iran's Shia Islamic theocracy after the 1979 revolution, with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the first supreme leader of Iran, announcing the last Friday of every Ramadan as "Quds Day" and inviting all the Muslims of the world to express solidarity with the legitimate rights of the Palestinian Muslim people.
The Iranian government opened an account for people to deliver charitable aid. It also opened a website and reported that more than six million volunteered to fight. Khamenei threatened that Islamic resistance was going to become unstoppable should the war continue. His spokesperson later said that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal would have delayed it but Israel would have collapsed within five years.
Khamenei pointed to foreign visits to Israel and said that the fall of Israel was imminent.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the IDF would be depleted through the ground invasion of Gaza.
Addressing the United Nations, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned Americans they would be unsafe if the conflict did not remain under control. US military forces conducted strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by the IRGC. President Joe Biden warned Khamenei not to attack the US military.
In November, the Iranian government criminalized expressions of support for Israel and making contact with its people.
November 1 Khamenei ordered food and fuel blockade on Israel.
United States
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of the United States Navy's Carrier Strike Group 12—led by the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, and supported by the cruiser USS Normandy and the destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt—to the Eastern Mediterranean. The United States Air Force augmented its F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter squadrons in the region, reportedly to deter other actors from entering the conflict.
On 15 October, it was reported that a US naval strike group composed of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, and the guided missile destroyers USS Laboon, USS Mason, and USS Gravely was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean.
On 17 October, it was reported that a US naval group consisting of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, the amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde, and the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall, was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea to transport the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in case they were needed in the area.
On 19 October, the US Department of Defense announced that the had shot down three cruise missiles and eight drones that were northbound over the Red Sea. They said the missiles had been fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen and may have been en route to Israeli targets.
After multiple drone and rocket attacks on military bases in Iraq that house US troops, the US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave their embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil on 22 October. A few days earlier, a false alarm in Al-Asad Airbase caused the death of a civilian contractor from cardiac arrest. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a threat to Iranians that their attacks would not be tolerated.
US officials said the Biden administration advised Israel to delay the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip to allow more time for hostage negotiations. President Biden said that Hamas' attacks on Israel were intended in part to scuttle the potential normalization of the U.S. ally's relations with Saudi Arabia. He mentioned that Hamas attacks aimed to halt Israel-Saudi Arabia agreement.
United Nations
On 25 October, United Nations' General-Secretary António Guterres called for a ceasefire, during a speech in which he stated that the attacks by Hamas "did not happen in a vacuum" and needed to be understood in the context of 56 years of Israel's "suffocating occupation" of Palestinians, further stating that "the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people." Israel responded by saying it would ban UN representatives from Israel to "teach them a lesson", and called for the General-Secretary's resignation.
On 27 October, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution ES-10/21 calling for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce and cessation of hostilities, adopted by a vote of 121 states to 14, with 44 abstentions.
North Caucasus
In late October 2023, an anti-Israel mob stormed the Uytash Airport after the arrival of a flight from Tel Aviv, following messages spread via Telegram channels urging people to gather at the airport and prevent the landing of a plane. These messages were tied to rumors about refugees from Israel supposedly arriving in Dagestan. They were disseminated by the "Morning Dagestan" Telegram channel, associated with Russian-Ukrainian politician Ilya Ponomarev. 20 people were injured, among them nine police officers, of whom two were injured seriously. The passengers on the plane were unharmed. 150 suspects were identified, while 60 were detained.
The head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, called the incident a gross violation of the law. The Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a meeting of his top security officials, while his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov blamed the unrest on "outside interference". The Israeli government called on Russian authorities to protect Israelis and Jews in Russia.
International
International leaders, including from Argentina, India, the United States, and European countries condemned the attacks by Hamas, expressed solidarity with Israel, and said Israel has a right to defend itself from armed attacks and describing Hamas's tactics as terrorism. Most Latin American governments condemned Hamas's attacks in Israel, while some expressed solidarity with Palestinians such as Colombia. In a White House briefing, President Joe Biden expressed solidarity with Israel. The European Union announced it would review aid to Palestinian authorities to ensure the aid was not funding terrorism, and subsequently announced that immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza would be tripled. Austria, Germany, and Sweden suspended development aid to Palestine in response to Hamas's attack and said that they would review other projects and aid given. The World Uyghur Congress released a statement condemning "horrific attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians". Croatia's president Zoran Milanovic publicly stated that Israel had lost his sympathy due to its humanitarian crimes and "reprisal actions" in Gaza. Colombian president Gustavo Petro likened IDF attacks against Palestinians to Nazis and asked the Israeli ambassador to "apologize and leave the country" Spain's deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop what she called a massacre in Gaza.
Responses from African governments varied, showing division about the source of the conflict and who is to blame. However, most expressed grief and deep concerns about the outbreak of violence, with condemnations of attacks against civilians and calls for restraint and de-escalation to prevent further loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives.
As many as 20,000 Thai workers (around half of Israel's migrant work force) live all over Israel, including areas close to Gaza. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said their stance towards "the deadly Hamas-led attack against Israel is one of neutrality, and the Kingdom promotes a solution that would allow Palestine and Israel to coexist".
Queen Rania of Jordan said leaders of Western countries had double standards and were "complicit" in civilian suffering in Gaza.
On 31 October, Bolivia severed diplomatic relations with Israel due to what the deputy foreign minister called "the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive".
Evacuations of foreign nationals
Brazil announced a rescue operation of nationals using an air force transport aircraft. Poland announced that it would deploy two C-130 transport planes to evacuate 200 of its nationals from Ben-Gurion airport. Hungary evacuated 215 of its nationals from Israel using two aircraft on 9 October, while Romania evacuated 245 of its citizens, including two pilgrimage groups, on two TAROM planes and two private aircraft on the same day. Australia also announced repatriation flights. 300 Nigerian pilgrims in Israel fled to Jordan before being airlifted home.
On 12 October, the United Kingdom arranged flights for its citizens in Israel; the first plane departed Ben Gurion Airport that day. The government had said before that it would not be evacuating its nationals due to available commercial flights. However, the flights were commercial. Nepal arranged a flight to evacuate at least 254 of its citizens who were studying in Israel. India launched Operation Ajay to evacuate its citizens from Israel. Ukraine has facilitated the evacuation of around 450 of its citizens from Israel as of 18 October, with additional evacuation flights in the planning for the near future.
Visits by foreign leaders
On 17 October, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Israel to express solidarity with the country. On his departure from Ben-Gurion airport, he was evacuated to a shelter after a rocket alarm went off.
On 18 October, US President Joe Biden arrived in Israel and was received at Ben-Gurion airport by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu. At a news conference, he said Israel did not commit the al-Ahli hospital bombing in Gaza and blamed what he called "the other team" for the attack. In the wake of the attack, a summit in Amman hosted by King Abdullah II that was also to be attended by Biden, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi was cancelled by the Jordanian government.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel on 19 October, in order to meet Netanyahu and offer his condolences for the civilians killed in the initial attacks. Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni arrived in Israel on 21 October.
On 24 October, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel to express solidarity with the country. He said that the anti-ISIL coalition should also fight against Hamas.
Regional and global effects
Effect on Palestinian factions
According to Daniel Byman and Alexander Palmer, the attack showcased the decline of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the rise of Hamas as a power center in Palestinian politics. They predicted the PLO's further decline if the status quo held. Laith Alajlouni wrote that the immediate effect of the Hamas offensive was to unite Hamas and PLO. However it may soon lead to conflict between them, possibly leading the PLO losing control of the security situation in the West Bank, if more militant groups there begin to launch their own independent attacks.
Israeli intelligence failure
Political journalist Peter Beaumont described the attack as "an intelligence failure for the ages" on the part of the Israeli government. The Jewish News Syndicate deemed it a "failure of imagination". A BBC report on the intelligence failure noted that "it must have taken extraordinary levels of operational security by Hamas." US officials expressed shock at how Israeli intelligence appeared to be unaware of any preparations by Hamas. Israeli officials later anonymously reported to Axios that the IDF and Shin Bet had detected abnormal movements by Hamas the day before the attack, but decided to wait for additional intelligence before raising the military's alert level. They also did not inform political leaders of the intelligence reports.
Effect on the Netanyahu government
Amit Segal, chief political commentator for Israel's Channel 12, said that the conflict would test Benjamin Netanyahu's survival as prime minister, noting that past wars had toppled the governments of several of his predecessors such as that of Golda Meir following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Menachem Begin following the 1982 Lebanon War, and Ehud Olmert following the 2006 Lebanon War. Prior to the formation of an emergency unity government on 11 October, Politico described the then-potential move as Netanyahu's opportunity to correct his course and save his political legacy. Citing the Israeli intelligence failure, which some observers attributed to the incumbent government focusing more on internal dissent, the judicial reform, and efforts to deepen Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, some commentators criticized Netanyahu for putting aside the PLO and propping up Hamas, and described him as a liability.
Effect on Israeli–Saudi Arabian normalization
In an analysis by The Times of Israel, the newspaper wrote that "Hamas has violently shifted the world's eyes back to the Palestinians and dealt a severe blow to the momentum for securing a landmark US-brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia." Andreas Kluth wrote in his Bloomberg News column that Hamas "torched Biden's deal to remake the Middle East", arguing that the deal that was being discussed between Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States would have left Palestinians in the cold, so the group decided to "blow the whole thing up." He added that, viewed from Gaza, things were only going to get worse, considering that Netanyahu's coalition partners opposed a two-state solution for the conflict. He suggested they would prefer to annex the entirety of the West Bank, even at the expense of turning Israel into an apartheid state.
Media coverage
Disinformation
Reports of sexual violence, decapitation, and torture
Unconfirmed or disputed reports
Unverified information has been quickly published and spread during the conflict, through social media, politicians, and mainstream news outlets. While some stories have had follow-up information that clarifies or adds context to the original posted story, it has taken time due to the widespread conflict and lack of audience returning to read or hear the additional information.
Decapitations
In the aftermath of the initial Hamas assault, witnesses from the IDF and the first responder organisation ZAKA reported seeing bodies of beheaded infants at the site of the Kfar Aza massacre. During Antony Blinken's visit to Israel, he was shown photos of the massacre by Hamas of Israeli civilians and soldiers; among other things Blinken confirmed that he saw beheaded IDF soldiers. US President Joe Biden separately said that he had seen photographic evidence of terrorists beheading children, The White House subsequently clarified that Biden was alluding to news reports on beheadings, which have not contained or referred to photographic evidence. NBC News stated that the claim was likely erroneous, and based on the conflation of two separate statements made by IDF soldiers. As of 12 October, CNN extensively reviewed online media content to verify Hamas-related atrocities but found no evidence to support claims of decapitated children.
A ZAKA volunteer reported on 14 October seeing bodies of children with severe injuries and burns. Some of the deceased children appeared to have been decapitated, although the exact circumstances were not clear. Chen Kugel, the head of the Israeli National Center of Forensic Medicine, said "We also have bodies coming in without heads, but we can't definitely say it was from beheadings. Heads can also be blown off due to explosive devices, missiles, and the like". On 24 October, Israeli authorities screened bodycam footage of Hamas atrocities for journalists, including "an attempt to decapitate someone who appeared to be still alive using a garden hoe", as well as a still image of a decapitated IDF soldier.
Sexual violence
Rape and sexual violence against Israeli women were reported, notably during the Re'im music festival massacre. Reports in El Pais, Vice, PBS, The Economist, India Today, the Hindustan Times, Tablet, Ynet, and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency were sourced to named and anonymous eye-witnesses present in Israel.
An 8 October report by The Times of Israel referenced videos it said "have raised concerns of sexual assault against women". However, as of 11 October, Yuval Shany wrote it was too soon to know whether there had been a pattern of sexual assault, as there had not yet been time to formally take testimonies from victims and witnesses. These reports of sexual violence were repeated by Israeli officials, US President Biden, UK security minister Tom Tugendhat, and several journalists or media outlets (e.g. Henrique Cymerman, Jake Tapper, Peter Hartcher, and ABC News).
On 11 October, Jewish-American news media organization The Forward said, "Biden, Netanyahu, celebrities and columnists have rushed to condemn rape. But the IDF does not yet have any evidence it happened". As of 13 October, FactCheck.org concluded "there are no publicly confirmed examples of sexual assault". An Arab Israeli council member in the city of Lod told The New York Times that local Arab youth had seen "images of slaughter, kidnap and rape", which weakened their initial support for Hamas.
On 14 October, Israel's military forensic teams attested that there were indications of torture and multiple rapes among the deceased. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the families of hostages taken by Hamas, told the International Committee of the Red Cross that some of the hostages had been victims of rape.
On 24 October, Israeli authorities screened footage of atrocities committed during Hamas's incursion to a small group of foreign journalists. In one clip a partially burnt female corpse was seen, with her dress pulled up to around her waist and underwear missing. An Israeli official said that authorities had evidence of rape.
Immolation
On 20 October, the remains of victims from the Hamas attack and the analysis of the bodies by a team of Israeli and international forensic experts were displayed at Israel's Forensic Pathology Center for the media. These included charred hands with marks indicating the victims' hands were bound behind their backs with metal wire before being burned alive. A large charred mass that when observed by CT scan show the remains of a parent and child who were bound together before being burned alive. Many of the victims had soot in their trachea, indicating that they were executed through immolation.
See also
Timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2023
Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
List of wars involving Israel
List of wars involving the State of Palestine
List of wars: 2003–present
International recognition of Israel
International recognition of the State of Palestine
Notes
References
External links
OCHA: Hostilities in Gaza and Israel, Flash Updates: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25
UNRWA: Gaza Situation Reports: #1, #2, #3, #4 (11 October), #5 (12 October), #6 (15 October), #7 (16 October), #8 (18 October), #9 (19 October), #17 (30 October)
2023 in the Gaza Strip
Conflicts in 2023
Al-Qassam Brigades Operations
Articles containing video clips
Battles in 2023
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attacks
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Invasions of Israel
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine attacks
Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip
Gaza-Israel conflict
Gaza-Israel conflict
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine attacks
Wars involving Hezbollah
Wars involving Israel
Wars involving Palestinians
Palestinian war casualties
Wars involving Yemen