Israel–Hamas war

2023 Israel–Hamas war
Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Gaza Strip under Palestinian control   Current extent of the Israeli invasion of Gaza   Evacuated areas inside Israel   Maximum extent of the Gazan invasion of Israel   Area of Gaza subject to Israeli evacuation orders See here for a more detailed map.
Date 7 October 2023 – present (7 months, 1 week and 1 day) Location Israel and Palestine (spillover fighting in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq) Status Ongoing Palestinian militants breach the Gaza–Israel barrier and attack southern Israel on 7 October Israel retaliates with airstrikes and initiates a total blockade of Gaza on 9 October Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza, including Gaza City, on 13 October Israel launches a ground invasion of northern Gaza on 27 October Israel begins the siege of Gaza City
Belligerents
Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) Non-Palestinian groups: Hezbollah Ansar Allah Amal Movement	Israel
Commanders and leaders
Ismail Haniyeh Yahya Sinwar Mohammed Deif	Benjamin Netanyahu Benny Gantz Yoav Gallant Herzi Halevi
Units involved
Joint Operations Room al-Qassam Brigades Al-Nukhba Al-Quds Brigades Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades National Resistance Brigades Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Jihad Jibril Brigades Non-Palestinian groups: Lebanese Resistance Brigades	Israel Defense Forces Israeli Ground Forces Israeli Air Force Israeli Navy Israel Police Shin Bet
Strength
40,000+	529,500
Casualties and losses
Gaza Strip: 11,500 killed 28,200 wounded 3,250 missing Inside Israel (per IDF): 1,000+ killed 200 captured West Bank: 204 killed 2,469 wounded Spillover: Lebanon: 90 killed 29,000 displaced Syria: 26 killed 15 wounded Egypt: 6 wounded	Israel: 1,300 killed 7,266 wounded 239 captured or abducted 28 missing Per Hamas: 136 armored vehicles destroyed/damaged
1,500,000 Palestinians displaced in Gaza 200,000 Israelis displaced

On 7 October 2023, an armed conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip after the latter launched a multi-pronged invasion of southern Israel. After clearing Hamas militants, the Israeli military retaliated by conducting an extensive aerial bombardment campaign on Gazan targets, followed by a large-scale ground invasion of Gaza. More than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and more than 11,500 Palestinians, including 4,710 children, have been killed in the fighting. The current hostilities constitute the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict, which is part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

In the morning of 7 October, Palestinian militant groups launched a barrage of rockets against Israel, while around 3,000 militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier and attacked Israeli military bases and civilian population centres, as well as a music festival near Re'im. Between the attack and Israel's counterattack, more than 800 Israeli civilians and more than 200 soldiers were killed, alongside an estimated 1,000 militants. Over 200 Israeli civilians and soldiers, as well as some foreign nationals, were also taken captive to the Gaza Strip. According to expert analysis based on Hamas's declarations, Hamas initiated the conflict in order to create a 'permanent' state of war and to revive interest in the Palestinian cause.

Israel's declaration of a state of war the following day marked the start of the most significant military escalation in the region since the Yom Kippur War in 1973; its lengthy aerial bombardment of Gaza dropped 6,000 bombs in the first six days of the conflict. The airstrikes were coordinated with a total blockade of the Gaza strip in addition to cutting off water, fuel, food, and electricity. Israel urged 1.1 million Gazans to evacuate northern Gaza, while Hamas called on residents to stay in their homes. On 27 October, Israel launched a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, which remains ongoing.

Widespread civilian deaths have led to both Israel and Hamas being accused of war crimes. The United Nations reported that around 1.5 million Palestinians, over 70% of Gaza's population, as well as over 200,000 Israelis have been internally displaced. UN Secretary General António Guterres criticized both Hamas and Israel. There are acute shortages of drinking water, food and fuel in Gaza. The health system is failing; most hospitals are out of service.

The war has led to widespread global protests that have focused on a variety of issues including demands for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; a week later, a non-binding advisory resolution passed overwhelmingly in the United Nations General Assembly. Israel has rejected ceasefire calls, asserting it will not stop until all hostages taken by Hamas are returned. In the early weeks of conflict, Hamas had announced that it would release all Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel's release of all Palestinian prisoners. On November 9, Israel agreed to daily four-hour "humanitarian pauses" to allow civilians to obtain food and medicine, as well as evacuate to the south. On 15 November, the UN Security Council approved a resolution calling for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip." Israel called the resolution "meaningless" and vowed to ignore it. From a global perspective, support for the Palestinian cause skyrocketed, and Israel faced widespread criticism.

Background

See also: Israeli–Palestinian conflict and Gaza–Israel conflict

The Gaza Strip and Israel have been in conflict since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, which it had hitherto occupied since 1967. The United Nations and several human rights organizations continue to classify Gaza as held under Israeli occupation, due to its effective military control over the territory.

Hamas's victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election and the subsequent battle between it and Fatah, which Hamas ultimately won, significantly escalated tensions with Israel. Israel, due to severe security concerns and with the support of Egypt, imposed a blockade that significantly damaged 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. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Palestinian militant groups fired ~2,700 rockets into Israel from September 2005 through May 2007.

Since the blockade, Israel and Palestinian militants have had several clashes and made attacks on each other. The Palestinian Authority has not held national elections since 2006. 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. Surveys in 2023 of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank before the war indicated that a majority supported the use of "armed struggle", the creation of "militant groups", and an intifada ("uprising") against the Israeli occupation.

Hamas leadership

Further information: Governance of the Gaza Strip

Hamas is a Sunni Islamist political and military organization governing the Gaza Strip; designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, Paraguay, the United Kingdom and the United States. China, Turkey and Russia and other countries do not regard Hamas as such. A 2018 attempt to condemn Hamas for "acts of terror" at the United Nations failed to achieve the required two thirds majority, with 87 votes in favor, 58 votes against, 32 abstentions and 16 non-votes.

According to Michael Milshtein, an expert on Palestinian affairs from Reichman University and former Israeli military intelligence officer, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, is motivated primarily by the long-term vision of destroying Israel.

Netanyahu's Hamas policy

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. Moreover, Israel allowed in recent years up to 18,000 Palestinian laborers from Gaza to work in Israel as an incentive to maintain relative calm. 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".

2023 local escalation

See also: 2023 Neve Yaakov shooting, 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes, 2023 Israel–Lebanon shellings, May 2023 Gaza–Israel clashes, and July 2023 Jenin incursion

Over the course of 2023, before the attack, 39 Israelis and two foreign nationals had been killed, 116 wounded in Palestinian attacks, while at least 247 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces. 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, "an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big." Israel denied receiving such a warning, but the Egyptian statement was corroborated by Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Foreign Relations Committee, who said warnings were made three days before the attack.

Israel–Saudi normalization talks

Main articles: Iran–Israel proxy conflict and Israel–Saudi Arabia relations

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

See also: Iran–Israel proxy conflict, Gaza–Israel conflict, Israeli-occupied territories, and Israel and apartheid

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula. Each of these territories except the Sinai remain under Israeli occupation.

Israeli and Palestinian deaths preceding the war. Most were civilians.

Rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, 2001–2021

Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, since the Six Day War in 1967. In 1987, the First Intifada began, a popular uprising by the Palestinians against the Israeli occupation. The conflict lasted five years and ended with the Oslo Accords, creating the Palestinian National Authority and partitioning the West Bank into separate areas. Following the failure of the subsequent peace talks at the Camp David Summits in 2000, violence once again escalated during the Second Intifada, which ended with the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.

In 2006, Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Israel responded by threatening to impose sanctions unless Hamas agreed to follow prior Israel-Palestinian agreements; Hamas refused. A power struggle ensued between the Fatah and Hamas wherein Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip. In 2006, Israel imposed a blockade, restricting the flow of goods and people in and out of Gaza. Egypt has also participated in the blockade, partially lifting it in 2011 and reinstating it in full in 2014.

The Gaza Strip's economy declined significantly due to the blockade, showing a 30% drop in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within a year. By 2015, the unemployment rate had risen to 45% (compared to the pre-blockade level of 10%). 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. According to UNICEF, "Israel only approves 64%" of patients requests to leave Gaza for specialized medical treatment. 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 their only solution. Daoud Kuttab wrote that Palestinian attempts to solve the conflict via negotiations or non-violent boycotts have been fruitless.

The Associated Press wrote that Palestinians are "in despair over a never-ending occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza". Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, B'Tselem and Human Rights Watch have likened the Israeli occupation to apartheid, although this characterization is disputed. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported roughly 6,400 Palestinians and 300 Israelis were killed in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict, from 2008 through September 2023, before the start of this war.

Simon Tisdall argues that an uptick in Israeli–Palestinian violence in the West Bank in the first half of 2023 had portended war, and stated that Netanyahu refused to negotiate for peace, adding fuel to the fire, and ignoring the rights of Palestinians. 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".

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.

Hamas stated its attack was in response to various grievances, including the blockade on Gaza, the onging expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Israeli settler violence, and restrictions on the movement of goods and people 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 "Hamas is not ready at all to give up on the jihad."

Events

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

For a more comprehensive list, see List of military engagements during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

Palestinian attack (7 October)

Main articles: 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel in 2023

Approximate situation on 7–8 October

The attack took place during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah on Shabbat, and one day after the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War, which also began with a surprise 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 stated that its attack was in response to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, rising Israeli settler violence and recent escalations at Al-Aqsa. U.S. Intelligence Agencies claim that Hamas initiated the war in order to create a 'permanent' state of war and to revive interest in the Palestinian cause.

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

Further information: Battle of Sderot and Battle of Sufa

For a more comprehensive list, see List of military engagements during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war § Massacres.

Satellite view of widespread fires in Israel on 7 October 2023

A blood-stained home floor in the aftermath of the Nahal Oz massacre in Nahal Oz, Israel

Militants killed civilians at Nir Oz, Be'eri, and Netiv HaAsara, and other agricultural communities, where they took hostages and set fire to homes. This resulted in widespread fires and smoke across the region. 52 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 at least 325 and injured many more at an outdoor music festival near Re'im and took at least 37 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."

Around 240 people were taken hostage during the attacks, mostly civilians. Captives in Gaza include children, festivalgoers, 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

Further information: Battle of Re'im and Battle of Zikim

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. At least six Israeli military bases near the Gaza border were attacked.

Initial Israeli counter-operation (7–27 October)

Destruction of the Palestine Tower in Gaza following an Israeli airstrike

A photograph from above of many buildings leveled and others severely damaged. Rubble from the buildings is everywhere.

Damage in Gaza following an Israeli strike

After the initial breach of the Gaza perimeter by Palestinian militants, it took hours for the Israeli military to respond by sending troops to counter-attack. The first helicopters sent to support the military were launched from the north of Israel, and arrived at the Gaza Strip an hour after fighting began. However, they immediately encountered difficulty in determining which outposts and settlements were occupied, and distinguishing between Palestinian militants and the soldiers and civilians on the ground. The helicopter crews initially poured down fire at a tremendous rate, and in 4 hours, about 300 targets were attacked. Later on the crews began to slow down the attacks and carefully select targets.

Subsequent investigation has determined that militants had been instructed not to run so that the air force would think they were Israelis. This deception worked for some time, but pilots began to realize the problem and ignore their restrictions. By around 9:00 a.m., amid the chaos and confusion, some helicopters started laying down fire without prior authorization.

The attack 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 80 kilometers (50 mi) 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.

Israeli blockade and bombardment

Further information: 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip

Remains of the Sderot police station, following recapture by IDF

Building in the Gaza Strip being levelled by Israeli missiles

Immediately following the surprise attack, the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes that they said targeted Hamas compounds, command centers, tunnels, and other strategic targets. Two days after the surprise attack, Israel said that 426 Hamas targets had been hit, including destroying Beit Hanoun, homes of Hamas officials, a mosque, and an internet hub. Israel also rescued two hostages before declaring a state of war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. 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". This drew criticism from the Human Rights Watch humanitarian groups, calling the order "abhorrent" and a "call to commit a war crime". The IDF later deployed C-130 and C-130J transport aircraft to retrieve off-duty personnel.

As a part of a bombing run targeting Hamas command centers and weapon caches, the IDF stated that it had bombed Nukhba forces—a Hamas special forces unit that is thought to have led the attack on Israel.

Evacuation of Northern Gaza

Main article: 2023 evacuation of northern Gaza

See also: 2023 attacks on Palestinians evacuating Gaza City

Almost a week after the initial attack on Israel, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for communities north of the Wadi Gaza. All Palestinians in that region, including those in Gaza City, were given 24 hours to evacuate to the south. 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".

The statement by Israel faced widespread backlash; with numerous agencies, such as Doctors Without Borders, the World Health Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, among others, condemning the order as "outragous" and "impossible" while calling for an immediate reversal of the order.

As a part of the order, 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 people. 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".

The IDF stated Hamas set up roadblocks to keep Gaza residents from evacuating south and caused traffic jams. Israeli officials stated this was done to use civilians as "human shields", which Hamas denied.

17 October Israeli airstrikes

Further information: al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion and October 2023 UNRWA school airstrike

On 17 October, Israel bombed areas of southern Gaza. Ministry of Health officials in Gaza reported heavy overnight bombing killing over 70 people, including families who had evacuated from Gaza City in the north. One of the airstrikes killed a senior Hamas military commander Ayman Nofal. In the afternoon, an Israeli strike hit a UNWRA school in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, killing six and injuring 12.

Wounded child and man wait for treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike

Late in the evening, 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 by Hamas and the IDF, and the ongoing conflict prevented independent on-site analysis. Palestinian claims that it was an Israeli airstrike were denied by the IDF, which asserted that the explosion resulted from a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The PIJ 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. Over the next few days, Canadian, British, and French officials announced that their respective intelligence agencies concluded the cause to be a failed Palestinian rocket and not an Israeli airstrike. In its article dated November 2, CNN stated that multiple experts said "they believe this to be the most likely scenario – although they caution the absence of munition remnants or shrapnel from the scene made it difficult to be sure. All agreed that the available images of evidence of the damage at the site was not consistent with an Israeli airstrike."

Third week (21–27 October)

Medics transport an injured Palestinian child into Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike

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 António Guterres expressed deep concern at "clear violations of international humanitarian law" in Gaza and also said, "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 "... the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas."

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 7 October.

On 27 October, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that it had lost contact with its headquarters, disrupting Gazans' ability to contact emergency services. On the same day, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for a resolution on immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza and 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 the Gaza Strip (27 October–present)

Main article: 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip

Further information: 31 October 2023 attack on Jabalia

IDF soldiers preparing for a ground operation in Gaza on 29 October

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 northern part of the Gaza Strip. Clashes between Hamas and IDF were reported near the towns of Beit Hanoun and Bureij. The Israeli invasion of Gaza was confirmed after Israel said that its units were still in Gaza the next day. 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 (WHO), 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 said 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 Abducted 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, "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.

External videos
Gazan child speaks of having to carry decapitated body after Israeli strike on Jabalia (via The Irish Times)

On 31 October, the IDF bombarded the densely-populated Jabalia refugee camp, killing 50 and wounding 150 Palestinian's according to the hamas run Gaza Health Ministry. 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 on the scene. 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 resulted in several ambassador recalls (see § Ambassador recalls). Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, wrote on the social media platform X that he was "appalled by the high number of casualties" from the bombing. According to The New York Times at least two 2,000-pound bombs, the second largest type in Israel's arsenal, were used.

IDF tanks on operations in the Gaza Strip on 31 October

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. On the same day, the Jabalia refugee camp was bombed for a second time; the UN Human Rights Office expressed "serious concerns" that these were "disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes".

On 3 November, the Gaza health ministry stated that Israel struck an ambulance convoy directly in front of Al-Shifa Hospital, killing at least 15 people and injuring 60 more. The IDF acknowledged having launched an airstrike at "an ambulance that was identified by forces as being used by a Hamas terrorist cell in close proximity to their position in the battle zone", adding that a "number of Hamas terrorist operatives were killed in the strike". The IDF did not provide evidence that the ambulances were being used by Hamas combatants but said that additional information would be released. A Hamas official described the Israeli claim as "baseless". The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said one of its ambulances was struck "by a missile fired by the Israeli forces" about two metres from the entrance to al-Shifa hospital. The PRCS said another ambulance was fired on about a kilometre from the hospital. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that he was "utterly shocked by reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients", adding that patients, health workers and medical facilities must always be protected.

4 November

A UNRWA spokeswoman confirmed reports that Israel had conducted an airstrike against a UN-run school in the Jabalia refugee camp. According to the Gaza health ministry, the attack killed 15 and wounded dozens more. According to UNRWA, at least one strike hit the schoolyard, where displaced families had set up their tents. The Gaza ministry of health said another Israeli missile strike on the entrance to the Nasser Children's Hospital killed two women. According to White House officials, efforts to evacuate foreign nationals through the Rafah border crossing were temporarily hindered by Hamas's refusal to allow anyone to leave, until a certain number of its own wounded were also allowed to leave. Hamas stated that within the last two days they had destroyed 24 Israeli vehicles, including a tank, an APC, and a bulldozer with anti-armour weapons.

Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel "in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel's refusal (to accept) a ceasefire." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters he held Netanyahu personally responsible for civilian deaths in Gaza and said that he was "no longer someone we can talk to".

Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, reported that due to Israeli air strikes, the bodies of 23 missing Israeli hostages were buried under the rubble.

6 November

Israeli missile attacks targeted the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza City, hitting the Al-Nasser Children's Hospital, eight people were killed and dozens more were injured according to Al Jazeera. Human Rights Watch called for a weapons embargo against both Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, accusing them of committing war crimes against civilians.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Biden administration was planning to send $320 million worth of "Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies", a type of precision guided weapon fired by warplanes, to Israel. Under the deal, weapons manufacturer Rafael USA would send the bombs to its Israeli parent Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for use by the Israeli defense ministry.

10 November

Netanyahu said the IDF would control Gaza after the war and rejected proposals to establish an international force in the strip.

13 November

Israel Defense Forces Twitter @IDF

Beneath the Rantisi Hospital in Gaza, IDF forces found a room where Israeli hostages are believed to have been held. The calendar found in the room marked the days since October 7 Massacre with the title "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", Hamas's name for their horrific attack on Israel.

Nov 14, 2023

The IDF published a video which they said showed that Hamas had a facility under Al-Rantisi Hospital, and that Israeli hostages were likely hidden there. The video showed, among others, a stash of weapons and explosives; what appears to be a motor bike with a bullet hole on its side; and water, ventilation and sewage infrastructure that the IDF stated were improvised in preparation of coming hostages. According to The New York Times, the origins of the weapons shown in the video could not be independently verified. Charles Lister, Director of the Counterterrorism and Extremism Program at the Middle East Institute, stated the IDF footage "clearly indicated" that the basement was a bomb shelter. Mohammed Zarqout, a local official responsible for Gaza's hospitals, stated the basement was a shelter for women and children.

The IDF presented what they said is a calendar found under the hospital marking the days since 7 October, with the title "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood". Israel first stated the calendar was a list "where every terrorist writes his name". However, this claim was criticized by fluent Arabic speakers as "propaganda", who said that the words in Arabic only spelled out the days of the week.

14 November

External videos
Instagram video by Ahmed Hijazi of the Al-Shifa Hospital strike shown in the Visual Investigations report published by The New York Times. Contains graphic images of severe injury.
Instagram video by Ahmed Hijazi of the Al-Shifa Hospital strike shown in the Visual Investigations report published by The New York Times. Shows dead and injured in the immediate aftermath.

The New York Times published a report by its Visual Investigations team contradicting claims by the Israeli Defense Forces that civilian deaths and damage at the al-Shifa Hospital had been caused by stray Palestinian projectiles. The report concluded instead, "some of the munitions were likely fired by Israeli forces", based on video and satellite evidence and an examination of weapons fragments collected and verified by The New York Times and analyzed by experts. Moreover, two of the most severe strikes analyzed by The Times hit upper floors of the maternity ward and did not appear to be aimed at underground infrastructure. "Israel's assertion that Al-Shifa was actually hit by a Palestinian projectile echoed similar – and unresolved – claims and counterclaims following munitions that hit the courtyard of another Gaza hospital, Al-Ahli, nearly a month ago. The evidence reviewed by The Times from Al-Shifa points more directly to strikes by Israel – whether on purpose or by accident is unclear," the report said. The IDF has stated that it is targeting Al Shifa Hospital due to its use by Hamas, and that there is a command center underneath the facility, with US officials stating that their intelligence confirms Israel's conclusions that Hamas is operating out of hospitals in Gaza. A day earlier the EU issued a joint declaration condemning Hamas for its use of hospitals and civilians as "human shields" in Gaza. A number of countries and international organizations condemned what they called Hamas' use of hospitals and civilians as human shields.

IDF soldiers carried boxes into al-Shifa, labelled in English as "medical supplies" and "baby food". In an interview with Al Jazeera, an emergency room employee stated that Israel "did not bring any aid or supplies", while another contact within the hospital told BBC that Israeli soldiers had supplied water to elderly patients. The Geneva-based human rights organization Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor stated "concerns that the army might be creating the scene that might be released later". Several hours later, the IDF stated they had found weapons in al-Shifa, indicating the presence of a command centre. The IDF released a video that they said showed grenades, automatic weapons and flak jackets recovered from the hospital. John Kirby, a US government official, stated that the US remained confident in their previous assessment that a Hamas military compound exists underneath the hospital.

In response, Mouin Rabbani, a Middle East analyst, stated, "Israeli forces have invaded Shifa Hospital and been inside it for 12 full hours – having refused any independent party to accompany them – and now we're supposed to believe that there were Hamas militants in there being pursued by the Israeli military but they somehow left their weapons behind?" Political analyst Marwan Bishara stated, "It's kind of baffling. Why would Hamas leave the guns and not anything else?" Jeremy Scahill stated, "I've seen more guns in the homes of ordinary Americans than in this purported Hamas Pentagon under al-Shifa Hospital."

16 November

Netanyahu had stated in an interview with CBS that the Israeli government had "strong indications” that hostages were in al-Shifa, which was one of the reasons they entered the hospital. It was reported that the body of Yehudit Weiss, a 65-year old woman who was captured from Be’eri kibbutz was found near the hospital.

Residents in parts of southern Gaza reportedly received evacuation notices, sparking concerns over an expansion of the invasion. A fuel shortage was widely reported to have caused a shutdown of all internet and phone networks in the Gaza Strip, according to its two primary telecom providers Jawwal and Paltel.

Other confrontations

A wider regional military conflict, specifically with the well armed Hezbollah could bring the entire region in an escalated military conflict, a situation that Israel, Iran and the United States are vocally against. The Iranian backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Houthi militias in Yemen have launched attacks on a limited scale against Israel. Iran backed militias in Iraq and Syria have also traded attacks with the US and Israeli military. Over 100 Palestinians have been killed in confrontations with Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since 7 October. Settler violence has been heavily criticized by the IDF.

West Bank

Further information: October 2023 Jenin incursion, October 2023 Tulkarm raid, and Al-Ansar Mosque airstrike

West Bank sector of war

  West Bank Palestinian enclaves (Areas A & B)

  West Bank under Israeli control (Area C)

  Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem

Even before the war, 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in 20 years. From 7 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. According to the West Bank Protection Consortium, which is funded by the European Union since the 7 October attacks six Palestinian communities have been abandoned due to the violence.

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. Those arrested included 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 31 October, the IDF engaged Hamas around Shuweika.

On 1 November, 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.

Israel–Lebanon border

Further information: 2023 Israel–Lebanon border clashes

Northern Israel sector of war

  Israel

  Israeli-occupied Golan Heights

  Hezbollah presence in Lebanon

  Syria

  Areas ordered evacuated by Israel

A series of border clashes occurred along the Israel-Lebanon border. On 8 October, Hezbollah launched an artillery attack on Israeli positions in Shebaa Farms; this was met with immediate retaliation. Skirmishes have occurred every day since. The clashes have killed 71 Lebanese and nine Israeli soldiers, as well as 14 Lebanese and two Israeli civilians, and the displacement of 20,000 people in Lebanon.

Syria

See also: Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war and Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian civil war

From 12–22 October, Israel launched at least three attacks on airports in Syria, particularly on Damascus and Aleppo, killing two workers from the Syrian meteorology service based in Damascus airport.

On October 24, Israeli airstrikes in Daraa Governorate reportedly resulted in the death of eight Syrian soldiers and injuries to seven others, as per Syria's state-run news agency SANA. The IDF acknowledged the airstrikes, stating they were a response to two rockets fired from Syria into Northern Israel.

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.

Yemen

Main article: Houthi involvement in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Several strikes against Israel are thought to have launched by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. On 19 October, the United States Navy Destroyer USS Carney shot down several missiles that were traveling north over the Red Sea towards Israel. 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 misrepresented in some news sites as a declaration of war by Yemen.

Iraq

Further information: 2023 American–Middle East conflict

On 2 November, Islamic Resistance In Iraq, a joint operations room consisting of Iraqi militias, claimed responsibility for an attack against a "vital Israeli target" on the Dead Sea coastline. On 3 November, the Islamic Resistance In Iraq claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Eilat.

Casualties

Main article: Casualties of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

See also: Violence against journalists in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and List of journalists killed in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Aftermath of the attack on Be'eri

As of 8 May 2024, over 36,000 people (34,844 Palestinian and 1,410 Israeli) have been reported as killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 97 journalists (92 Palestinian, 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese) and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, including 179 employees of UNRWA.

The vast majority of casualties have been in the Gaza Strip. The death toll reported by the UN OCHA comes from the Gaza Health Ministry. The breakdown of the figures in the UN OCHA report only includes casualties whose identities have been confirmed while the overall figure is the number of reported deaths. According to several articles, the total death toll in Gaza is presumed to be higher than reported, with thousands remaining unaccounted for, including those trapped under rubble.

The October 7 attacks on Israel killed 1,139 people, including 764 civilians and 373 Israeli security personnel. A further 252 persons were taken hostage during the initial attack on Israel to the Gaza Strip.

A further 479 Palestinians, including 116 children, and 9 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem). Casualties have also occurred in other parts of Israel, as well as in southern Lebanon, and Syria. Monitoring group Action on Armed Violence said that each Israeli airstrike caused an average of 10.1 civilian deaths and that the figure suggested a notable change in Israel's targeting approach. 2012 and 2021 campaigns produced averages of 1.3 and 1.7 respectively. Experts say the classified rules of engagement have a higher threshold for civilian casualties than previously. Israel's war on Gaza has been the deadliest conflict for children in modern times.

Humanitarian situation in Gaza

Main article: 2023 humanitarian crisis in Gaza

See also: 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and International aid to Palestinians

Residents inspect the ruins of an apartment destroyed by Israeli airstrikes

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been termed a "crisis" and a "catastrophe". As a result of the Israel's siege and Hamas's hoarding of resources, 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". 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 shut down. 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 said that more than 192 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 Médecins Sans Frontières 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".

Retired Israeli major general Giora Eiland compared Israel's situation to that of the United States after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He argued that if Israel wanted to disarm Hamas, it had "no choice" but to make Gaza a place "that is temporarily or permanently impossible to live in". This, he stated, was not a "program for revenge", but a way to get the hostages back.

External videos
Emily "Cali" Callahan, an American nurse who worked in Gaza for Doctors Without Borders until early November, describes the humanitarian situation in Gaza to CNN's Anderson Cooper

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 28 October, the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger stated she was "shocked by the intolerable level of human suffering". During the course of the first month of the war, the Gaza Ministry of Health recorded more than 4,000 children killed in Gaza. UN General Secretary António Guterres said on 6 November that Gaza is "fast becoming a graveyard for children". On 8 November, UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk described the Rafah Crossing as "gates to a living nightmare". On 10 November, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Jens Laerke stated, "if there is a hell on earth, it is the north of Gaza."

On November 9, Israel agreed to daily four-hour "humanitarian pauses" to allow civilians to obtain food and medicine, as well as evacuate to the south.

On November 14, Reuters reported that Israel was coordinating the transfer of medical incubators to Al Shifa hospital in order to assist in the evacuation of new born babies. The ISW also reported that Israel had opened up two new routes for civilians to evacuate northern Gaza.

War crimes

Main article: War crimes in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

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. The Permanent United Nations Fact Finding Mission on 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"; over a hundred international scholars expressed support for this position. 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".

Israel, in the first 10 days of the war imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, due to serious security concerns that weapons, fuel and armaments will be transferred to Hamas in the guise of humanitarian aid. Israel later allowed the delivery of limited humanitarian aid following security checks. Israel's restriction of the flow of food, fuel, water and other humanitarian aid was criticized as a war crime by human rights organizations. Tom Dannenbaum, co-director of the Center for International Law & Governance at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, wrote 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". Geoffrey S. Corn, Chair of Criminal Law and Director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at Texas Tech University School of Law, and Sean Watts, professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point, write that sieges are subject to the same laws of war as other military tactics, and balancing sieges with efforts to mitigate the effects on civilians may be legally permissible.

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 that 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, called 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

Main article: Diplomatic impact of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Ceasefire

In opposition

On 24 October, US President Joe Biden stated, "We should have those hostages released and then we can talk", and has subsequently doubled down on that opposition, saying that doing so would allow Hamas to attack Israel again. On 25 October, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also rejected a call for a ceasefire. The UK's Leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer also opposed a ceasefire. German chancellor Olaf Scholz also opposed an "immediate cease-fire."

In support

"Ceasefire now" demand at a rally in Toronto, Canada

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 institutions, 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, Chinese President Xi Jinping 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 stated that his own parents-in-law were trapped in Gaza. On 5 November, Mahmoud Abbas called for an immediate ceasefire. On 7 November, Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador called for a ceasefire. On 10 November, French president Emmanuel Macron urged Israel "to stop" bombing Gaza. During a press conference at the White House on 14 November, Indonesian president Joko Widodo called for a ceasefire, "for the sake of humanity."

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. On 8 November, UK Labour Party MP Imran Hussain resigned his frontbench position as shadow minister for the New Deal for Working People, to be able to advocate for a ceasefire outside of his frontbench position.

Various ambassadors and dignitaries also supported a ceasefire. On 18 October, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Ambassador of 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 24 October, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a ceasefire.UN Secretary General António Guterres stated that Gaza is "becoming a graveyard for children". Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stated, "the whole world" is expecting the UN to call for a ceasefire. On 29 October, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire and release of hostages. On 31 October, UN refugee commissioner Filippo Grandi called for a ceasefire. On 5 November, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee issued a letter calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, signed by the heads of 18 humanitarian organizations. On 10 November, 1,000 employees of USAID signed an open letter calling for an immediate ceasefire. On November 15 Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau called for a ceasefire, urging Israel to exercise "maximum restraint"

Israel and Hamas

On 2 November 2023, Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh stated that if Israel agreed to a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to bring more aid into Gaza, Hamas is "ready for political negotiations for a two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine." On 3 November, Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel would not agree to a ceasefire unless Hamas releases all hostages. On 6 November, both Israel and Hamas rejected calls for a ceasefire. On 15 November, Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq stated Israel was "stalling to continue its aggression and war against defenceless civilians."

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 publicly denied such negotiations were taking place. 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. Egypt and Qatar are both trying to mediate talks; according to the Wall Street Journal, Hamas's military wing mostly communicates to Egypt.

According to The Guardian, an early offer involved the release of "children, women and elderly and sick people" held hostage in exchange for a 5-day ceasefire, and Netanyahu "rejected the deal outright". More recent offers, after the 27 October ground offensive, involved the release of 10-15 hostages in exchange for a 1-3 day ceasefire. According to The Guardian, Netanyahu, right-wing ministers, and "hawks in the military" took a hardline position on the talks, unlike the Mossad, which leads the hostage negotiations.

United Nations Security Council

A map that shows the countries and their respective voting in the United Nations General Assembly resolution ES-10/21 calling for an "immediate and sustained" humanitarian truce and cessation of hostilities.

  In favour

  Against

  Abstentions

  Absent

  Non member

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. The Council passed a resolution calling for a humanitarian pause on 15 November.

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.

Ambassador recalls

On the afternoon of Israel's 31 October airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp, Bolivia severed all diplomatic ties with Israel, followed by a series of ambassador recalls by Chile and Colombia hours later, Jordan on 1 November, Bahrain on 2 November, Honduras on 3 November, Turkey on 4 November, Chad on 5 November, South Africa on 6 November, and Belize on 14 November. Bolivia's minister of the presidency demanded an end to the attacks on the Gaza Strip, while Chilean President Gabriel Boric cited Israel's "collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population" and Columbian President Gustavo Petro cited the "massacre of the Palestinian people". Jordan's Foreign Minister cited an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe" and condemned the "Israeli war that is killing innocent people in Gaza". Bahrain's National Assembly additionally cut off all economic relations, citing a "solid and historical stance that supports the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people." This decision does not appear to have been implemented. Honduras' Minister of Foreign Affairs cited Israel's violations of international humanitarian law. Turkish President Erdogan earlier had said Netanyahu was "no longer someone we can talk to". Chad cited the "unprecedented tide of deadly violence." South Africa recalled its entire diplomatic mission and criticized Israel's ambassador for disparaging those "opposing the atrocities and genocide of the Israeli government". Belize suspended diplomatic relations with Israel, citing the "unceasing, indiscriminate bombing in Gaza" and its violations of international humanitarian law.

Willingness to take refugees by third countries

Both Jordan and Egypt have rejected the idea of hosting Palestinian refugees fleeing from Gaza, with King Abdullah II of Jordan warning against pushing Palestinians to seek refuge in Jordan, and emphasizing the need to address the humanitarian situation within Gaza and the West Bank. Both countries have expressed serious concern that Israel may seek to permanently expel Palestinians, a claim that Israel disputes. On 2 November, however, Egypt said it will help around 7,000 foreigners and Palestinians with dual-nationalities through the Rafah border crossing.

Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, who has family in Gaza, 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. European countries are wary of a refugee influx due to recent pro-Palestinian protests.

In the United States, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that the problem of refugees be solved by "the region's partners", but emphasized the "historical role" of the US in accepting refugees, while Representative Jamaal Bowman said that the US should welcome refugees who are not affiliated with Hamas. Both former President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis oppose accepting any Palestinian refugees.

Reactions

See also: 2023 Israel–Hamas war protests

Reactions in Israel

Volunteers organizing deliveries for soldiers in Nesher

Support sign for the "citizens of south" and IDF soldiers at the policeperson roundabout in Ra'anana, October 2023

Following the Hamas attack on Israel, the protest group Kaplan Force cancelled its protest against the Israeli judicial reform scheduled on 7 October, instead 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.

Some construction sites in Jerusalem prohibited Israeli Arabs from entering due to security concerns, including senior managers, stating that only Jews and foreign workers were permitted.

Adalah, an Israeli human rights organization that advocates for Palestinians living in Israel, reported that 50 Palestinians studying at academic institutions in Israel had been summoned to disciplinary committees due to perceived support for Hamas on social media, with some suspended from their studies. A newly created community coalition said that 30 Palestinian citizens of Israel had lost their jobs for the same reason.

Adalah also reported that 100 Israelis have been arrested for posts supporting Palestinians in Gaza, with 70 in detention as of 18 October. Dalal Abu Amneh, a Palestinian singer born in Israel, was arrested on 17 October for posting "there is no victor but God" in Arabic, alongside an image of the Palestinian flag. She was released the following day and placed under house arrest for five days. Israeli police said that 170 Palestinians (all citizens of Israel or residents of Jerusalem) had 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 led to these arrests included quoting Quran verses, "prayers for the people of Gaza, and political analysis of Israeli military operations".

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. In comparison, according to a poll conducted for the same newspaper on 25–26 October, 29% of Israelis supported an immediate large-scale ground offensive into the Gaza Strip. Maariv said "It is almost certain that the developments on the matter of the hostages, which is now topping the agenda, have had a great impact on this shift." The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, that represents the families of kidnapped Israelis, complained that no-one had explained "whether the ground operation endangers the well-being" of the hostages.

To mark the battlefield activities of Israeli women throughout the war, a cover version to the song "Don't worry about me" was recorded, with a video clip showing female combatants in action and their achievements, and lines such as "Fighting like lionesses do" were adjusted to reflect women's accomplishments. Additionally the Army Radio created a new station ID saying: "The home of the female soldiers, Army Radio".

Emergency unity government

Main article: Israeli war cabinet

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. 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

Man's reaction following an airstrike, Indonesian Hospital in Jabalia, 8 October

Reactions in Gaza ranged from anger at the international community's tepid response to 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, commented about 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, a U.S. citizen said, "People are worried, people are essentially preparing to die". Muhammad Smiry, a journalist, wrote, "We are losing everyone and everything". 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". A pediatrics doctor at Kamal Edwan Hospital described the situation in Gaza as "really dangerous". He described the difficulties of compliance with Israel's mandatory evacuation order, as transferring the children would mean "handing them a death sentence". He stated that, as a result of Israel's denial of clean water, babies in his ward were experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. 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, 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. By 10 November, food shortages in Gaza reportedly fueled anti-Hamas sentiment, leading to rare public outbursts and anonymous criticism.

Dual citizens

See also: Evacuations during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

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. A resident of Salt Lake City reported the embassy said their "emergency line is for Israel". A U.S. citizen visiting Gaza with her husband and five children, stated, "The double standard is incredibly harsh". Another US national 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". Another US citizen complained that they had been unsuccessfully contacting the US embassy for two days. A Canadian teenager trapped in Gaza stated that the Canadian embassy only sent "emails telling us to stay safe, but they give us no way of staying safe. They really haven't done anything for us."

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 "everyone in Gaza is a target". Yahya al-Sarraj, the mayor of Gaza City, commented that 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 10 October, Hamas official Basem Naim denied any civilians were killed, saying that only Israeli soldiers were killed. On 11 October, Hamas again denied in a statement that it had killed civilians and said its military wing "worked to target the Israeli military and security systems", calling them "legitimate targets". 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.

According to Taher El-Nounou, a Hamas media adviser, the goal of Hamas is to create a permanent state of war. Hamas also rejected its responsibility to govern Gaza with Khalil al-Hayya stating, "Hamas's goal is not to run Gaza and to bring it water and electricity and such."

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. France 24 reported "Hamas called on "resistance fighters in the West Bank" to join the battle. 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 reported that 76 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and Jerusalem, eight of them by armed Israeli settlers; the Palestinian Health Ministry 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, as many Arab governments such as Egypt and Jordan had strongly negative views on Hamas, they restrained their official reaction to neutral press statements, while news programs in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia interviewed Arabic-speaking Jews instead of Hamas officials. News anchors in these countries did not refer to the IDF as an "occupation army", and referred to Palestinian casualties as "victims" rather than "martyrs". The public reaction in the Arabic world was much more negative, being strongly influenced by Hamas-produced social media videos that were viewed millions of times. The Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion, originally blamed on an Israeli airstrike, inflicted further damage on diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab states keen to avoid antagonizing their public. Governments and news programs such as Al Arabiya and Sky News Arabia increasingly took an anti-Israel and pro-Hamas stance. 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 opposed Hamas, asking why Egyptians should suffer to help Palestinians. Egypt, despite having being pressed by the United States, refused to accept refugees from Gaza.

Hezbollah

Hezbollah denied knowledge of the attacks and warned the United States not to invade Lebanon saying that they were prepared to face the US military. In a speech on 3 November, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Americans had threatened to bomb Iran and emphasised that Hezbollah entered the war the day after Hamas' attack and that it would not stop with its actions with its ongoing skirmishes with Israel. He stated that the United States is fully responsible for the current war against Gaza and its people and that Israel is merely the instrument of execution. He also said that anyone who wants to prevent a regional war must immediately stop the aggression against Gaza.

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. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali 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.

On 1 November, the Iranian government criminalized expressions of support for Israel and making contact with its people. That same day, Khamenei called on Muslim states to impose a food and fuel blockade on Israel.

On 15 November, Reuters and the Telegraph reported that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, conveyed to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during their November meeting in Tehran that Iran would not directly intervene in the conflict with Israel, citing lack of prior warning about the October 7 attack. Despite this, Iran pledged to continue providing political and moral support to Hamas, urging restraint against calls for direct involvement by Iran and its ally Hezbollah.

United States

Further information: United States support for Israel in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and 2023 American–Middle East conflict

Polling has indicated a significant divide between elite opinion of the Israel–Hamas war — including in terms of government policy, which has taken the side of Israel — and the viewpoints of the general public. A large majority of Americans support an immediate ceasefire in the conflict. A plurality of Americans oppose American military aid to Israel and believe that the United States should be a "should be a neutral mediator".

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, 13 October 2023

Hours after Hamas's attack, U.S. President Biden promised "rock-solid and unwavering" support to Israel and called Hamas's attack "unadulterated evil", comparing the group to ISIS. To replenish Israel's stockpiles, the U.S. said it would send Iron Dome missiles, small bombs, and JDAM conversion kits, in addition to fulfilling previous contracts to deliver F-35 fighter jets, CH-53 helicopters, and KC-46 air refueling tankers. Biden also called on Congress to pass $14.3 billion in emergency military aid to Israel. Details of weapons sent to Israel, which have been arriving daily, have been kept secret. Leaked details have shown that the U.S. has sent laser-guided missiles, 155mm shells, new army vehicles, among others, at Israel's request.

While the U.S. says it is discussing with Israel about ways to minimize civilian casualties, the Pentagon said it would impose no limits on Israel's use of American weapons in the war. Annie Shiel of the Center for Civilians in Conflict expressed concerns, saying that America is responsible for ensuring that "its assistance does not contribute to devastating civilian harm and possible violations of international humanitarian law". Foreign Policy reported on a "groundswell of opposition" among U.S. diplomats and national security officials, against what they perceived as Biden's "blank check" for the Israeli counterattack. "More than 630 employees" of the U.S. Agency for International Development signed a letter calling for an "immediate ceasefire". U.S. State Department official Josh Paul, who spent more than 11 years as the director of congressional and public affairs at the bureau overseeing arms transfers to foreign nations, resigned in protest at the US government's decision to send weapons to Israel.

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

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. Austin also ordered that approximately 2,000 troops be prepared for possible deployment to Israel, according to several defense officials.

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.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike groups in November 2023

On 19 October, the US Department of Defense announced that the USS Carney 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 threatened Iran that its 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.

On 4 November, the Defense Department confirmed that it was flying reconnaissance drones over Gaza in "support of hostage recovery efforts".

According to the Ben Hubbard and Maria Abi-Habib of The New York Times, "in the bloody arithmetic of Hamas's leaders, the carnage [in Gaza] is not the regrettable outcome of a big miscalculation. Quite the opposite... It is the necessary cost of a great accomplishment... the opening of a new, more volatile chapter in their fight against Israel". According to Hubbard and Abi-Habib, the attack also served to resolve the question of the organization's own identity: is it a governing body responsible for the day-to-day affairs in Gaza, or "an armed force... committed to destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamist Palestinian state"?

United Nations

On 25 October, United Nations' General-Secretary 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, "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 and condemned "all acts of violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terror and indiscriminate attacks", adopted by a vote of 121 states to 14, with 44 abstentions.

North Caucasus

Further information: 2023 antisemitic riots in the North Caucasus

In late October 2023, an anti-Israel mob stormed Uytash Airport in Russia's Muslim-majority Republic of Dagestan 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. 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

Main article: International reactions to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Further information: Protests on the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and Hate crimes related to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Several countries cut off relations with Israel during the course of the war. From a global perspective, for the Palestinian cause skyrocketed, and Israel faced widespread criticism internationally.

Solidarity with Israelis in Berlin, Germany on 8 October

Solidarity with Palestinians in Melbourne, Australia on 15 October

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.

International leaders, including from Argentina, India, Philippines, 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. 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 Milanović 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.

Germany sent two Heron TP drones to Israel. On 8 November 2023, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs announced that the German government had authorised a tenfold increase in arms exports to Israel; the export of military equipment to Israel would be treated and approved as a priority. Exports worth around 32 million euros in all of 2022 rose to almost 303 million euros in 2023, most of which was authorised after the start of the war.

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".

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Israel, 12 October 2023

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

Main article: Evacuations during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

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.

Regional effects

Main article: Effects of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

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.

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 commented 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.

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.

In an analysis by The Times of Israel, the newspaper wrote, "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.

Economic impact

Main article: Economic impact of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

On 9 November, the Bank of Israel reported that the drop in labour supply caused by the war was costing the Israeli economy $600 million a week, or 6% of weekly GDP. However, the bank also stated that the estimate does not reflect total damage and did not include damages caused by the absence of Palestinian and foreign workers.

Media coverage

Main article: Media coverage of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Further information: Disinformation in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Open letter from journalists

Over 750 journalists signed an open letter condemning "Israel's killing of reporters in Gaza and criticizing Western media's coverage of the war." The letter said newsrooms are "accountable for dehumanizing rhetoric that has served to justify ethnic cleansing of Palestinians" as well as arguing that, while not in their own voice, "journalists should use words like "apartheid", "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide" to describe Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

On 13 November 2023, 11 international news organizations sent a letter to Israel and Egypt, asking for access to the Gaza Strip in order to cover the war.

Israeli media

The war has led to pressure on Israeli journalists to be supportive of the war and avoid material critical of government policy and the military. Anat Saragusti, of the Union of Journalists said that such pressure has had "a chilling effect".

On 9 November 2023, Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for Benjamin Netanyahu, was caught passing fake news on X. Gendelman had days earlier posted a video that was debunked by an Israeli military correspondent. In 2021 Gendelman shared a video that the BBC found was footage from Syria rather than from Gaza.

Reports of decapitation, sexual violence and torture

See also: Bearing Witness (2023 film)

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 stated that he was shown photos of the massacre by Hamas of Israeli civilians and soldiers, and that specifically he saw beheaded IDF soldiers. US President 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 during the Re'im music festival massacre. Reports in El País, 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. An NBC News report on 27 October stated "there are signs of rape" in some of the videos.

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.

Online propaganda

According to information security experts interviewed by The New York Times, Iran, Russia, China, Iran's proxies, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have been conducting massive online disinformation efforts focused on "[undercutting] Israel, while denigrating Israel's principal ally, the United States". Researchers have documented at least 40,000 bots or fake social media accounts, as well as strategic use of state-controlled media outlets like RT, Sputnik and Tasnim.

See also

• 2020s in military history
• List of wars involving Israel
• List of wars involving the State of Palestine
• List of wars: 2003–present
• Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• Timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2023

Sources

• Charrett, Catherine (2020). The EU, Hamas and the 2006 Palestinian Elections: A Performance in Politics. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-61179-4.
• Davis, Jessica (2017). Women in Modern Terrorism: From Liberation Wars to Global Jihad and the Islamic State. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-7499-0.
• Kear, Martin (2018). Hamas and Palestine: The Contested Road to Statehood. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-99940-6.
• Mukhimer, Tariq (2012). Hamas Rule in Gaza: Human Rights Under Constraint. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-31019-4.

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, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, #36, #37, #38, #39, #40, #41
• 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)