Israel–Hamas war

October 2023 Gaza−Israel conflict
Part of the Arab–Israeli conflict
Gaza Strip   Israeli territory with Palestinian militants' presence   Evacuated areas   Maximum extent of Palestinian advance See here for a more comprehensive map.
Date 7 October 2023 – present (7 months and 6 days) Location Israel, Palestine, southern Lebanon Status Ongoing Palestinian militants break through the Gaza–Israel barrier and invade Israel's Southern District Israeli military carries out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip Israeli Defense Forces report they have retaken and fully control all communities around the Gaza Strip on 9 October Israel imposes a total blockade on Gaza
Belligerents
Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine File:Lion's Den Emblem.png Lions' Den Hezbollah	Israel
Commanders and leaders
Ismail Haniyeh Yahya Sinwar Mohammed Deif Abu Obaida Ziyad al-Nakhalah Nayef Hawatmeh Hassan Nasrallah	Benjamin Netanyahu Isaac Herzog Yoav Gallant Herzi Halevi Kobi Shabtai Ronen Bar
Units involved
Al-Qassam Brigades Al-Quds Brigades Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades National Resistance Brigades	Israel Defense Forces Israel Police Shin Bet
Casualties and losses
Per Hamas: 710 killed 3,890 wounded 137,000 displaced	Per Israel: 900+ killed 2,741 wounded 100+ hostages taken

On 7 October 2023, Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas launched a large-scale invasion and offensive against Israel from the Gaza Strip, breaking through the Gaza–Israel barrier and forcing entry via the Gaza border crossings, into nearby settlements in Israel and military installations. Hamas called it Operation al-Aqsa Storm. It is the first direct conflict within Israel's boundaries since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Hostilities were initiated in the early morning with a rocket barrage against Israel and vehicle-transported incursions into Israeli territory, with several attacks on surrounding Israeli civilian communities and Israeli military bases. Some observers have referred to these events as the beginning of a third Palestinian intifada. For the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which took place almost exactly fifty years before the 2023 attacks, Israel formally declared war. An Israeli operation launched in response has been called Iron Swords by the IDF.

The Palestinian invasion represented a boiling point in the breakdown of relations between the strip and Israel. This followed months of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, including attacks by Jewish settlers, clashes in in Jenin and at Al-Aqsa mosque, that killed almost 250 Palestinians and 32 Israelis; Hamas cited these events as justification for the offensive and called on Palestinians outside of Gaza to join the fight against the occupation. In Israel, former prime minister Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid has advocated for the formation of a national unity government to combat the Palestinian offensive.

At least 3,000 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip as Hamas militants broke through the border and entered Israel, killing at least 900 Israelis and prompting Israel's government to declare a state of emergency. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel "is at war" in a national address following the beginning of the attacks. Palestinian militants who infiltrated Israel made their way into several kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip as well as the city of Sderot. Both Palestinian and Israeli media sources reported that Israeli soldiers and civilians, including children, had been taken hostage by Palestinian militants; several of these hostages have reportedly since been taken to the Gaza Strip. Numerous cases of violence against Israeli civilians have also been reported since the beginning of the Hamas offensive, including a massacre at a music festival in Re'im that killed at least 260. Israel retaliated against the invasion by bombarding strategic buildings and military targets, with 20 reported cases of shelling of civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, mosques, hospitals, and banks. The Palestinian Ministry of Health led by Hamas in Gaza reported Israel had killed at least 500 Palestinians in gunfights and by airstrikes in Gaza and Israel, including civilians, 78 children, and 41 women; while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated it killed "more than 400 terrorists".

Countries of the Western world as well as its allies condemned Hamas for the violence and described the tactics used as terrorism, while some Muslim countries blamed the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the denial of Palestinian self-determination as the root cause of the escalation. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Nigeria called for de-escalation. Hamas said Iran assisted with its attacks; but Iran denied any role in the attacks although it praised them. The United States government announced it is supporting Israel by moving an aircraft carrier, warships, and military jets to the eastern Mediterranean and providing Israel with additional military equipment and ammunition. A conflict was reported between Hezbollah and Al-Quds Brigades forces in Lebanon and Israeli forces on 8 and 9 October.

Names

The Palestinian militant groups dubbed their assault Operation al-Aqsa Flood (or Deluge) (Arabic: عملية طوفان الأقصى, romanized: ʿamaliyyat ṭūfān al-ʾAqṣā), while Israel announced the beginning of a counteroffensive effort called Operation Iron Swords (Hebrew: מבצע חרבות ברזל, romanized: Mivtsa harvot barzel). Several news agencies and observers have described the ongoing conflict as the Third Intifada, following the prior Palestinian uprisings of the First and Second Intifadas. Others have referred to it as the Sukkot War, after the festivity celebrated the day the attack started. This conflict has been called by analysts "Israel's 9/11 moment".

Background

See also: Gaza–Israel conflict, July 2023 Jenin incursion, and 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes

The Gaza Strip and Israel have been in conflict since the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and Hamas gaining control of the Gaza Strip after elections in 2006 and a civil war with Fatah in 2007. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since 2007, leading Human Rights Watch to call the strip an "open-air prison". Furthermore, Gaza is closed off from the rest of the world, and access to resources including food, water, and electricity is almost entirely controlled by Israel. The blockade has caused significant economic hardship upon the Palestinians, and was cited by Hamas as one of the reasons for its offensive.

In 2023, there were several violent flare-ups in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Prior to the attack, including combatants and civilians on both sides, at least 247 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, while 32 Israelis and two foreign nationals had been killed in Palestinian attacks. 2023 also witnessed the rise of Israel's far-right government, which has ramped up settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank; an increase in Israeli settler attacks there, which has displaced hundreds of Palestinians; and tensions flaring around a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, said in a recorded message on the first day of the attack, that it was in response to "desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque", and Israel killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians this year. He called on Palestinians and Arab Israelis to "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls". He also added that the operation was launched so "the enemy will understand that the time of their rampaging without accountability has ended." He continued:

In light of the continuing crimes against our people, in light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and resolutions, and in light of American and western support, we’ve decided to put an end to all this, so that the enemy understands that he can no longer revel without being held to account.

The attack took place during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and Shabbat, and a day after the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War, which also began with a surprise attack. The attack followed three weeks of violence at the Israel–Gaza separation fence. Hamas and Israel had recently negotiated a truce, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United Nations, on 29 September.

Israel and Saudi Arabia are conducting negotiations to normalize relations, with Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman recently stating that normalization was "for the first time, real". Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had "repeatedly warned that Israel's ongoing occupation of Gaza would propel further violence."

A spokesperson for Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated that they do not consider Israeli citizens to be civilians: "We are not killing civilians. This is a military society. They are the ones who elect their governments."

Palestinian offensive

Rocket barrages

See also: Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel

Aftermath of a rocket attack in Rishon LeZion

At around 06:30 Israel Summer Time (UTC+3) on 7 October 2023, Hamas announced the start of what it called "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", stating that 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 also activated in Beer Sheva, Jerusalem, Rehovot, Rishon Lezion, and Palmachim Airbase. Hamas issued a call to arms, with senior military commander Mohammad Deif calling on "Muslims everywhere to launch an attack". Palestinian militants also opened fire on Israeli boats off the Gaza Strip, while clashes broke out between Palestinians and the IDF in the eastern section of the Gaza perimeter fence. In the evening Hamas launched another barrage of about 150 rockets towards Israel, with explosions being reported in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion. It was followed by another rocket barrage on the morning of 8 October, with one rocket hitting a hospital in Ashkelon. Hamas also fired 100 rockets at Sderot. On 9 October, Hamas fired another barrage in the direction of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with one rocket landing near a terminal of Ben-Gurion Airport.

File:Palestinian rocket being fired at Israel's occupied territories, October 2023.jpg

A Palestinian rocket

Militant incursions into Israel

Further information: Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim, Battle of Re'im, Battle of Sderot, Re'im music festival massacre, and Netiv HaAsara attack

Simultaneously, around 1,000 Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza using trucks, pickup trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats and paragliders. Images and videos appeared to show heavily armed and masked militants dressed in black fatigue riding pickup trucks and opening fire in Sderot, killing several Israeli civilians and soldiers. Other videos appeared to show Israelis taken prisoner and a burning Israeli tank, as well as militants driving Israeli military vehicles. On that morning, a massacre unfolded at an outdoor music festival near Re'im, potentially resulting in hundreds dead, with many still missing and in hiding. Witnesses recounted militants on motorcycles opening fire on fleeing participants, who were already dispersing due to rocket fire that had wounded some attendees; some were also taken hostage. Infiltrators were also spotted at Nir Oz, Be'eri, and Netiv HaAsara, where they reportedly took hostages and set fire to homes, as well as in kibbutzim around the Gaza Strip. 15 people were killed in the Netiv HaAsara attack. Hostages were also reported to have been taken in Ofakim, while homes in Sderot were set on fire. Hamas said it took prisoners to force Israel to release its Palestinian prisoners, claiming it had taken enough prisoners to secure the release of all Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas militants carried out an amphibious landing in Zikim. Palestinian sources claim that the local Israeli army base was stormed. The IDF reports to have killed two attackers on the beach and destroyed four vessels, including two rubber boats. A military base outside Nahal Oz was also taken by the militants, leaving at least two Israeli soldiers dead and at least six others captured. Fighting was reported at Re'im military base, headquarters of the Gaza Division. It was later reported that Hamas took control of the base and had taken several Israeli soldiers captive. Later in the day, Israeli Defense Forces regained control of the garrison. The police station of Sderot was reported to have come under Hamas control, with militants killing 30 Israelis, including policemen and civilians. Following the arrival of IDF reinforcements, IDF troops surrounded the police station and regained control over it, killing at least 10 Hamas militants.

Several Palestinian groups voiced their support for the operation. The National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the secular-socialist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) confirmed their participation in the operation through their military spokesman Abu Khaled. On 7 October they claimed to have lost three fighters in combat with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and said on 8 October that they were engaged with Israeli forces in Kfar Aza, Be'eri, and Kissufim. The PFLP, another Palestinian socialist militant group, and the Lions' Den group voiced their support for the operation and declared maximum alertness and general mobilization amongst their troops, and the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (armed wing of the PFLP) published videos of it storming Israeli watchtowers.

An Israeli military spokesman stated that the militants from Gaza had entered Israel through at least seven locations and invaded four small rural Israeli communities, the border city of Sderot, and two military bases from both land and sea. Israeli media reported that seven communities came under Hamas control, including Nahal Oz, Kfar Aza, Magen, Be'eri, and Sufa. The Erez crossing was reported to have come under Hamas control, enabling the militants to enter Israel from Gaza. Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said that there were 21 active high-confrontation locations in southern Israel.

Israeli response

7 October

The attack, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, appeared to have been a complete surprise to the Israelis.

The Iron Dome air defense system was activated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted security assessments at Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters in Tel Aviv. Gallant later approved the mobilisation of tens of thousands of army reservists and declared a state of emergency for areas within 80 kilometres (50 mi) of the Gaza border. He also said that Hamas "made a grave mistake" in launching its attack and pledged that "Israel will win". The IDF declared a "state of readiness for war". It also said that the reservists were to be deployed not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank and along the borders with Lebanon and Syria. Residents in areas around the Gaza Strip were asked to stay inside, while civilians in southern and central Israel were "required to stay next to shelters". Roads around the Gaza Strip were closed by the IDF. The streets of Tel Aviv were also locked down.

Following the assault, Israel declared a heightened state of preparedness for potential conflict. The IDF declared a state of readiness for war, and Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an emergency gathering of security authorities. The IDF additionally reported their initiation of targeted actions in the Gaza Strip under what it called "Operation Iron Swords". Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai announced that a "state of war" existed, following what he called "a massive attack from the Gaza Strip". He also announced the closure of the entire southern region of Israel to "civilian movement" as well as the deployment of the Yamam counterterrorism unit to the area. The IDF's chief spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said four divisions were deployed to the area, augmenting 31 preexisting battalions.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the country was facing "a very difficult moment", and offered strength and encouragement to the IDF, other security forces, rescue services, and residents who were under attack. In a televised broadcast, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: "We are at war." He also said that the IDF would reinforce its border deployments to deter others from 'making the mistake of joining this war'. In a later address, he threatened to "turn Gaza into a deserted island", and urged its residents to "leave now."

Airports in southern and central Israel were closed to commercial and private use, while Ben Gurion Airport and Eilat Airport remained operational. Multiple airlines cancelled flights to and from Israel.

Overnight on 7–8 October, Israel's Security Cabinet voted to undertake a series of actions to bring about the "destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad", according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office. The Israel Electric Corporation, which supplies up to 80% of the Gaza Strip's electricity, cut off power to the area. As a result, Gaza's power supply was reduced from 120 MW to only 20 MW, forcing it to rely on power plants paid for by the Palestinian Authority.

Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim

Main articles: Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim and Be'eri attack

In Be'eri, Hamas militants took up to 50 people hostage. During a stand-off between militants and IDF forces, videos emerged from Be'eri showing the hostages being led, by Hamas militants, barefoot across a street in town. Approximately 18 hours after the stand-off began, the IDF announced that they had freed the hostages in Be'eri. In the town of Urim, a suburb of Ofakim, two Israelis were rescued by the IDF. During the rescue, four Hamas militants were killed and three Israeli soldiers were injured.

Airstrikes in the Gaza Strip

The IDF said it attacked targets in Gaza using fighter jets, reportedly hitting 17 Hamas military compounds and four operational command centres. Among the locations struck was the 11-story Palestine Tower in downtown Gaza City that housed Hamas radio stations on the rooftop. Israel also struck two hospitals, killing an ambulance driver and a nurse.

File:Palestinians who survived an Israeli missile strike, 2023.jpg

Palestinians near the site of an airstrike

8 October

Overnight Israel struck up to 426 targets in the Gaza Strip. The town of Beit Hanoun was mostly leveled by airstrikes, and the Al-Amin Muhammad Mosque was destroyed. Targets also included various housing blocks, tunnels, homes of Hamas officials, and the Watan Tower, which served as 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 airstrike said there were no militants in their area nor were they warned.

The Security Cabinet formally placed the country under a state of war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The IDF stated that two hostage situations had been "resolved". The IDF also said it had secured 22 locations from Palestinian forces but were still trying to clear eight other locations including Sderot and Kfar Aza. In one community, it rescued nearly 50 hostages. Several Palestinian gunmen riding in a stolen car were killed by Israeli forces near Ashkelon following a shootout on a main road. Israeli forces also retook Sderot police station, killing ten militants. At the same time, more Palestinian fighters were reported to have entered Magen, while 70 Palestinian reinforcements arrived at Be'eri.

Evacuations of residents living near the Gaza Strip were ordered, and Netanyahu appointed former brigadier general Gal Hirsch as the government's point man on missing and kidnapped citizens. The IDF said it had called in up to 300,000 reservists and said it was aiming to eliminate Hamas' military capabilities and overthrow its rule over the Gaza Strip.

9 October

Further information: October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, Jabalia camp market airstrike, and Al-Shati Camp airstrike

The IDF reportedly struck 500 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, including the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp, causing "dozens" of casualties, including children. IDF stated it established full control over Israeli towns around the Gaza perimeter fence. However, operations against militants continued in Sderot.

Hamas said that it would execute Israeli hostages if Israel continued to bombard "civilian homes without advanced warning."

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced a "total" blockade of the Gaza Strip that would cut electricity and block the entry of food and fuel, adding that “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.

Outside Israel and the Gaza Strip

See also: October 2023 Hezbollah strike and 2023 Alexandria shooting

Between 7 and 8 October 11 Palestinian youths, including a 13-year-old, were killed in confrontations with Israeli forces throughout the occupied West Bank. On the morning of 8 October, Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at the Shebaa Farms region; in response the IDF fired artillery shells and a drone into southern Lebanon. Two Lebanese children were reportedly injured by broken glass. On the same day, an Egyptian policeman attacked Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guides in Alexandria, Egypt, killing two Israelis and one Egyptian, and wounding a third Israeli. The policeman was detained by the Egyptian police. Video footage confirmed that a small unit belonging to Palestinian militias had arrived at the Jewish settlement of Psagot near occupied East Jerusalem. According to the statement, the unit, made up of several fighters from Gaza, clashed with Israeli soldiers at the Qalandia checkpoint.

On 9 October, the IDF claimed to have killed several infiltrators from Lebanon and fired artillery across the border. Hezbollah denied involvement in the incident. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militia later claimed responsibility for the armed infiltration. Later in the day, fighting began again between Hezbollah and Israeli troops, resulting in three Hezbollah gunmen being killed.

Casualties

Israel

At least 900 Israelis were killed (including 73 soldiers), over 2,500 wounded, and 130-150 taken hostage. At least one civilian death was reported in Kfar Aviv, while three people were reportedly injured in Ashkelon and Yavne. 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 a serious condition.

The head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Libstein, was killed in an exchange of fire with the militants. The police commander of Rahat, Jayar Davidov, was also killed. The IDF confirmed that 73 of its soldiers had been killed. Among their confirmed dead were Colonel Yonatan Steinberg, the commander of the Nahal Brigade, who was killed near Kerem Shalom; Colonel Roi Levy, commander of the Multidimensional "Ghost" unit, who was killed near Kibbutz Re'im; and Lieutenant Colonel Eli Ginsberg, commander of the LOTAR Counter-terrorism Unit School.

On 7 October, Hamas militants killed hundreds of attendees of a music festival in Re'im. As of 8 October, over 260 bodies had been recovered from the site of the massacre by rescue agency ZAKA. Other attendees were wounded or taken hostage. Among those killed was former Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. striker Lior Asulin.

Four people were injured in Tel Aviv following a Hamas rocket barrage on 7 October. A child was injured in a rocket attack on Ashkelon on the night of 8–9 October.

At least 100 Israelis were taken prisoner by Hamas and transported to the Gaza Strip. On 8 October, Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to be holding at least 30 captives. At least four people were reportedly taken from Kfar Azza. A photograph was released appearing to show Israeli major general Nimrod Aloni, the commander of the IDF Depth Corps, being held by Palestinians. Hamas also claimed to have captured him. A Persian language post by the IDF on X (formerly known as Twitter) quoted a post about his capture from Tasnim News Agency and wrote "Tasnim: Distributors of fake news of IRGC" without either denying or confirming the capture of Aloni. Videos from Gaza appeared to show captured people, with Gazan residents cheering trucks carrying dead bodies. An MDA ambulance was also reportedly taken by the militants to Gaza. Four captives were later reported to have been killed in Be'eri, while Hamas claimed that an IDF airstrike on Gaza on 9 October killed four captives.

Palestine

Following Israel's airstrikes in response, the Palestinian Ministry of Health led by the Hamas government in Gaza reported an unspecified number of injuries among "many citizens". reported an unspecified number of injuries among "many citizens". It later said that 413 Palestinians, including 78 children and 41 women, had been killed and about 2,000 others had been injured. Yousef Abu al-Rish, the top Palestinian health official in Gaza, stated that most casualties were from firefights inside Israel. Reporters for the Associated Press in the Gaza Strip saw funerals being held for 15 victims and eight other bodies in hospitals. At least one person was reported to have been killed in an airstrike on the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza. Four Palestinians were killed and five others were wounded in clashes with the IDF along Gaza's perimeter fence. Five Palestinian militants were reported to have been killed in Sderot.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said a nurse and an ambulance driver were killed in Israeli strikes on two hospitals. Palestinian media reported that several casualties occurred after an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at an ambulance in front of the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. A paramedic was reported to be in critical condition. Doctors Without Borders stated that Israel attacked the Indonesian Hospital di Gaza in the Gaza Strip, killing one nurse, one ambulance driver and injuring several others. The Indonesian Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) later confirmed that a local staff member was killed near an operational MER-C vehicle. The Indonesian Foreign Ministry later confirmed that the fatality was not an Indonesian national, but a Palestinian.

Ten civilians were reportedly killed in a strike on a residential building in Shabora near Khan Younis. A Hamas leader named Ayman Younis was reported to have been killed on 8 October after shelling. 19 people, including the leader of a local armed group, were killed in an airstrike in Rafah on 9 October. At least 50 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike on the Jabalia Camp on 9 October.

The United Nations said that the fighting had displaced more than 123,000 Palestinians. It also said Israeli airstrikes had destroyed 159 housing units and severely damaged 1,210 others. UNRWA said a school sheltering more than 225 people was struck.

Foreign nationals

The Nepali ambassador to Israel, Kanta Rijal, said at least seven of its nationals in the country were injured in the attack, and that they along with ten others were held captive by Hamas at an agricultural farm in Alumim. The Nepalese embassy later confirmed that 10 Nepalese students were killed during the attack in the area of Kibbutz Alumim. Israeli media also reported that migrant workers from Thailand and the Philippines were also taken captive by Palestinian militants. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that 12 of its nationals were killed during the Palestinian attack, while 8 others were injured and 11 were captured by the militants. The Philippine embassy also confirmed that two Filipinos were injured in the attacks, with authorities confirming reports of Filipinos being held captive by Hamas. Eight Filipinos were rescued by the IDF, while a foreign affairs undersecretary said that between five and six Filipinos were unaccounted for.

A German-Israeli national was killed while attending the Re'im music festival; a video of Palestinians parading her near-naked body in a car was circulated on the internet, and her credit card was reportedly used subsequently in Gaza. Several other German citizens were reported to be among those kidnapped by militants. At least ten British citizens were reported as dead or missing, including one attendee of the music festival. Two Ukrainians, a Cambodian student, a Chilean woman, and two French nationals were confirmed to have been killed by Hamas. At least nine Americans were killed during the attacks, with reports of more missing and captives held in Gaza. Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs reported that two Mexican nationals were presumed to have been taken hostage by Hamas. One Brazilian national was reported as injured and three were reported missing. An Indian caregiver was injured by a rocket barrage in Ashkelon. Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares said two Spaniards were attacked without specifying their condition. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that an Italian-Israeli couple went missing in Beeri. Two Tanzanian students were reported by their embassy to be missing. The Russian Embassy stated that four Russian nationals went missing following the attack. Four Argentinians were reported to have been killed and three were reported missing. The Canadian government stated that a Canadian was killed, and that two other Canadians were missing. A Paraguayan couple has been reported killed, with the government also reporting two nationals missing. An Irish attendee of the music festival was reported missing.

Negotiations

On 9 October, Reuters reported that Qatar was mediating talks between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of female Israeli prisoners in exchange for Israel releasing 36 Palestinian women and children. However, Israel had not confirmed such negotiations were taking place.

Reactions

Israel

The protest group Kaplan Force announced the cancellation of its demonstration against the judicial reform planned on 7 October in Tel Aviv. The group expressed support for the IDF, stating that they were standing by "the IDF and the security forces carrying out their duties during this difficult time and hope for the restoration of calm and security". Forum 555 and Brothers in Arms, a protest group of reservist soldiers that organized boycotts of the military draft in protest against the judicial reform, called on reservists to serve if they were called up.

Magen David Adom appealed for blood donations and announced plans for a special blood donation drive in Tel Aviv on 7 October. Israel's Education Ministry announced the closure of all schools in the country on 7 October. This was later extended until 10 October. The Haifa International Film Festival was cancelled. Bruno Mars canceled his scheduled concert in Tel Aviv on 7 October due to the attacks and left Israel. On 8 October UEFA cancelled all of its scheduled football matches in Israel for the next two weeks, including a qualifier for the Euro 2024 tournament between Israel and Switzerland on 12 October.

An investigation was launched as to the failure of Israeli authorities to prevent the attack from occurring.

Ofer Cassif, a member of the Knesset, told Al Jazeera that his left-wing Hadash party had repeatedly warned that the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories would lead to events like this, where innocent civilians on both sides pay the price. He called the Israeli government "fascist", and accused it carrying out pogroms and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian population.

Proposed emergency unity government

Among opposition parties, Yesh Atid leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman and Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli issued a joint statement expressing full backing for the IDF and unity with the government, saying: "In times like these, there is no opposition and coalition in Israel."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed that Yesh Atid and National Unity enter an emergency unity government with his Likud-led coalition, after Lapid urged Netanyahu put "aside our differences and form an emergency, narrow, professional government". Lapid said that Israel could not effectively manage the war with "the extreme and dysfunctional composition of the current cabinet" and called upon Netanyahu to eject the far-right Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit parties as a condition for Yesh Atid to join an emergency unity government.

The National Unity party met with Likud on 9 October to discuss a possible unity government, with National Unity likely to join a unity government.

Palestine

The Palestinian Education Ministry said schools in the Gaza Strip were closed until further notice. The Palestinian Health Ministry appealed for blood donations.

At an emergency meeting with officials of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Palestinians had the right to defend themselves against the "terror of settlers and occupation troops". In the West Bank, 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. Clashes on 8 October killed six more Palestinians.

Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera that its forces had taken enough Israeli hostages to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel in an exchange. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida said it was holding captured Israeli soldiers in "safe places" and tunnels. Currently there are nearly 5,200 Palestinian prisoners in Israel, including 170 children.

International

Main article: International reactions to the October 2023 Gaza–Israel conflict

Pro-Palestinian protest in Istanbul, Turkey

Pro-Israeli protest in Berlin, Germany

Pro-Palestinian "Rally for a Free Palestine" posters at the University of Sydney

President Biden delivers remarks on the ongoing situation in Israel, 7 October 2023

International leaders, including from Argentina, India, Taiwan, the United States, and most 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. The European Union, Austria and Germany suspended humanitarian aid to Palestine in response to Hamas' attack and said that they would review other projects and aid given. Some Arab League countries such as Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and non-Arab countries like Iran and Pakistan expressed support for the Palestinians, blaming the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories for the escalation of violence. A number of other countries called for de-escalation and a ceasefire. Demonstrations took place in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Bahrain, and Iran in solidarity with the Palestinian groups.

Argentina, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Uruguay stated that they would increase security in Jewish-associated sites in response to the attack.

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. 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. An Egyptian official told the Associated Press 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.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of a naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford to the eastern Mediterranean. The group also included the cruiser USS Normandy and the destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt. The US Air Force augmented its F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter squadrons in the region. Hamas called the move an "attempt to boost the morale of the crumbing Israeli army" and "participation in the aggression against our people".

Economic

Following the outbreak of fighting, the price of Brent crude climbed by $2.50 a barrel to $87.05, while the price of West Texas Intermediate crude rose by $2.70 a barrel to $85.50. The Israeli energy ministry ordered Chevron to temporarily shut down the offshore Tamar gas field. The price of gold increased by $20 an ounce to reach $1,851 on 9 October.

On 8 October, Israel’s TA-35 index fell by 6.47%, its largest loss since 2020. The value of the New Israeli Shekel fell by 1.63% to trade at 3.90 against the US dollar, its weakest showing in seven years. In response, the Bank of Israel announced on 9 October that it would sell up to $30 billion in foreign reserves to support and provide up to $15 billion in liquidity to the market through SWAP mechanisms. This was the Israeli central bank's first ever sale of foreign exchange.

Iran's stock market index also fell by 2.5%.

Analysis

According to Daniel Byman and Alexander Palmer, the attacks showcased the decline of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the rise of Hamas as the main power center in Palestinian politics. They predicted the PLO's further decline if the status quo held.

According to Israeli analyst Seth Frantzman, the attack signified a notable escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. It stood out for its substantial scale and reach, encompassing both rocket fire and border attacks in Gaza. This event marked a significant departure from prior conflicts, which typically followed a phased progression with a gradual escalation of tensions. It has been compared to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 2001 September 11 attacks, the 2003 Ramadan Offensive, the 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, and the 1968 Tet Offensive. Like the Vietnamese Tet Offensive, Hamas' offensive came on the morning of a holiday, seemed to be "everywhere at once", and demonstrated capabilities not thought possible in a guerrilla force.

Israeli intelligence failure

Political journalist Peter Beaumont described the attack as "an intelligence failure for the ages" on the part of the Israeli government. Similarly, the Jewish News Syndicate deemed it a "failure of imagination". A BBC report tackled the intelligence failure question, claiming that while Israel had the most extensive and well-funded intelligence agency in the region, and a network of informants and agents inside militant groups, it had failed to foresee the escalation. It added that "it must have taken extraordinary levels of operational security by Hamas." US officials expressed shock at how Israeli intelligence was unaware of any preparations by Hamas. Amir Avivi, former deputy commander of the Gaza Division of Israel's military, told the Financial Times, which reported that the attacks shook faith in the country's intelligence services, that "this is a failure that is no smaller than the Yom Kippur War." An unnamed Egyptian intelligence official told the Associated Press that "[Egypt] warned them an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big. But they underestimated such warnings." Yaakov Amidror, a former National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu, said that the attack proves "that the [intelligence] abilities in Gaza were no good".

Sources in Hamas and Israel's military establishment told Reuters that the attack was the culmination of a years-long campaign by Hamas to deceive Israel into thinking that the group was primarily interested in economic and governance issues instead of fighting. An IDF colonel anonymously reported to Middle East Eye that intelligence units had detected Hamas training activities but misjudged their intent; they assessed these would be used in a series of separate attacks, rather than a large combined one.

Context of the Israeli occupation

Many analysts stressed that the Palestinian attacks came in the context of the Israeli occupation. Stephen M. Walt writes that the Palestinian offensive was a violent response to Israel's decades long treatment of Palestinians. According to the Associated Press, Palestinians are "in despair over a never-ending occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza". Roger Cohen writes that the increasing Israeli control over millions of Palestinians "incubated bloodshed". Prior to the attack Saudi Arabia had warned Israel of an "explosion" as a result of the continued occupation. According to Daoud Kuttab, Egypt had warned Israel of a catastrophe unless there was political progress, and similar warnings were given by Palestinian Authority officials. Less than two months before the attacks, the King of Jordan had lamented that Palestinians have "no civil rights; no freedom of mobility".

Simon Tisdall points to the uptick in Israeli-Palestinian violence in 2023 as portending war, and claims that Netanyahu refused to negotiate the peace process, adding fuel to the fire. Many Israelis assumed the Palestinian question had become a nonissue, and the rights of Palestinians were ignored. Yousef Munayyer writes that the Biden administration, too, had ignored the Palestinian issue. A Biden administration official boasted on September 29 that “the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades.” The Palestinian issue disappeared from the global agenda.

Stephen M. Walt writes that Palestinians feel they have no choice but to use force against the occupier. According to an analysis in The Independent, the blockade on Gaza created hopelessness among Palestinians, and this was exploited by Hamas, who convinced young Palestinian men that violence was the only solution. Daoud Kuttab writes that Palestinian attempts to solve the conflict via negotiations or non-violent boycotts have been fruitless.

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." The New York Times reported that the prospects of Israeli and Saudi normalization appeared dimmer, citing Saudi Arabia's statement that the country had repeatedly warned "of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights and the repetition of systemic provocations against its sanctities."

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, and that they would prefer to annex the entirety of the West Bank, even at the expense of turning Israel into an apartheid state, something critics have long claimed as Israel's goal.

Speculation arose that Iran was trying to sabotage relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, with former head of research for Shin Bet Neomi Neumann saying the attack could have been timed in part due to Iran's hopes to scuttle efforts to normalize relations between Israel and its Sunni rival. On 9 October, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani denied claims of Tehran's involvement in Hamas' attack.

Possible spread

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, speculated the war would spread to Jerusalem and the West Bank. Hashim Safi Al Din, Head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, echoed these sentiments.

Northeastern University professor Max Abrahms stated that the conflict could escalate into a war between Israel and Iran.

War crimes

Palestinian

Further information: Re'im music festival massacre and Be'eri attack

Human Rights Watch said that Palestinian armed groups' deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate attacks, and taking of civilians as hostages amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law.

Over 100 civilians, including babies, children, women and the elderly taken hostage by Palestinian groups has been categorized by the Israeli government as a war crime. Hamas claimed it took Israelis prisoners in order to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, offering Israel a prisoner exchange.

Israeli

Further information: October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip

On 9 October, Israel announced it was cutting off food, water, medicine and electricity to the Gaza Strip. According to Human Rights Watch, such punitive measures against Gaza’s civilian population would amount to unlawful collective punishment, which is a war crime. The Norwegian Refugee Council warned that it could "lead to wounded children dying in hospitals."

During a raid on Gaza, Israel bombed two refugee camps at Shati and Jabalia, killing dozens of civilians and refugees

Misinformation

A video purportedly showing two Israeli helicopters being shot down by Hamas was found to be a clip from the military simulation game Arma 3. Another viral video claiming to show senior Israeli generals being seized by Hamas was found to be that of the arrest of ethnic Armenian separatist leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijani forces following the latter's offensive in September, which was first posted two days before the fighting began, on 5 October. Several videos claiming to show incidents during the conflict were found to have been taken in prior confrontations.

Following criticism over the proliferation of fake news regarding the conflict on X, its owner Elon Musk called on users to try to "stay as close to the truth as possible, even for stuff you don't like", before promoting two accounts that were cited for spreading disinformation in a post that he later deleted.

See also

• Timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2023
• Timeline of the October 2023 Gaza–Israel conflict
• May 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes
• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
• Gaza War (2008–2009)
• 2006 Gaza–Israel conflict
• 2014 Gaza War

External links

• Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | OCHA Flash Update #1 as of 18:00, 7 October 2023
• OCHA Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #2