The conflict between Israel and Palestine has reached a point of no return, even though there have been global calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Since October 7, the day Hamas launched a terror massacre on Israel, the Israeli military has consistently launched airstrikes across Gaza. The death toll in the blockaded Palestinian territory has now surpassed 10,022 since October 7. Additionally, in the occupied West Bank, at least 152 people have lost their lives, and over 1,400 casualties have been reported in Israel during the same timeframe.
The devastation is such that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while renewing demands to reach the elusive ceasefire, had said that Gaza is “becoming a graveyard for children”. Today, as Israel-Hamas complete one month of the ongoing war, we break down the sequence of events that led up to the current conflicting situation.
Israel-Hamas War – A timeline
October 7
Muhammad Deif, the leader of the Hamas’ military wing, had issued a ten-minute recorded message that was published online, where he announced the commencement of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”. He stated that “the enemy will understand that the time of their actions without consequences has come to an end” and encouraged Palestinians to target Israeli settlements using whatever means available to them.
At 6:30 am IST, air raid sirens were activated in southern and central Israel in response to Hamas missiles. A music festival
At around 7:00 am, Hamas militants launched an attack on the Supernova Music Festival in Israel. There are reports that claim that some of Hamas members arrived at the festival using motorized paragliders. Out of approximately 3,000 to 5,000 people who attended the festival, at least 260 individuals were killed, and many others were taken as hostages.
The same day around 10:47 am, the Israeli Air Force began attacking Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first statement about the conflict via Twitter where he declared that Israel is at war.
October 8
Israel invoked Article 40A, officially declaring a state of war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. This declaration led to the mobilization of 300,000 reservists, marking the largest mobilization in the nation’s history. The stated objective was to eliminate Hamas’s military capabilities and bring an end to its rule over the Gaza Strip.
October 9
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, which would mean cutting off the electricity supply and stoppage on food and fuel deliveries.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) dispatched C-130 and C-130J heavy transport aircrafts throughout Europe to gather hundreds of off-duty IDF personnel for deployment in the ongoing conflict.
October 10
US President Joe Biden in a briefing stated that “Hamas’ stated purpose is the annihilation of the State of Israel and the murder of Jewish people.” He called the terror attack “an act of sheer evil”. Meanwhile, four employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had died in Gaza airstrikes.
October 11
Israeli fighter jets conducted airstrikes that destroyed multiple structures in the vicinity of the Islamic University of Gaza.
The United States engaged in discussions with Egypt to establish a humanitarian passage through its Gaza border crossing located near the city of Rafah.
Subsequently, Israeli forces targeted the Gaza-Egypt Rafah border crossing with airstrikes.
October 12
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted artillery strikes in Syria in response to the firing of several mortars that were launched towards northern Israel.
Israel declared that Gaza would not receive water, fuel, or electricity until the hostages were released.
Additionally, Israel also took responsibility for the airstrikes on both Damascus and the Aleppo International Airport in Syria.
October 13
Civilians began to move from Gaza to the southern areas, effectively crossing Wadi Gaza, following an IDF advisory given the previous day regarding a 24-hour notice of impending combat operations. The United Nations expressed concerns about a potential humanitarian crisis and called upon Israel to revoke its evacuation directive.
October 14
The commander of Hamas’s aerial unit, who played a significant role in planning the attack, was killed.
The IDF announced two evacuation routes between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. IDT (07:00–13:00 UTC). Israel and Egypt jointly declared the opening of the Rafah crossing for foreign nationals from noon to 5:00 p.m.
The United States authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel from its embassy. Red Crescent ambulances were deliberately targeted by the IAF.
UNRWA announced via Twitter that its shelters were no longer considered safe, and there was a shortage of water.
Israel stated that the war might extend for months, with a record number of 360,000 reservists reporting for duty.
During a meeting with UN diplomat Tor Wennesland, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian asserted that Iran would intervene in the war if Israel continued its military operations or initiated a ground invasion of Gaza.
October 15
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israel Border Police apprehended over 50 Palestinians in the West Bank.
The IDF called for the evacuation of 21 hospitals in northern Gaza, WHO reported. Meanwhile, four hospitals were rendered non functional.
A committee to protect Journalists reported that at least twelve journalists had lost their lives, eight were wounded, and two remained missing up to that day.
October 16
Iran issued a threat of “pre-emptive” attacks against Israel, signaling a potential escalation of the conflict in the region. US President Biden, during an interview on 60 Minutes, expressed his view that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a significant mistake, affirming his confidence in Israel’s adherence to the rules of war. He also emphasized the need to eliminate Hamas.
On the same day, Hamas released its first video featuring a hostage, an Israeli citizen. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the military wing of Hamas, claimed that the group was holding around 200 hostages, with “dozens” held by various factions.
Israel launched an attack on the Rafah border crossing, and the WHO warned that there were only “24 hours of water, electricity, and fuel left” before a genuine catastrophe is unfolded in Gaza.
October 17
Thousands of displaced Palestinians who had sought shelter at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital were in for another tragedy when an explosion occurred on Oct 17.
The IDF claimed that a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) rocket attack had failed, while the Gazan Health Ministry asserted it was an IAF airstrike. Independent analysis suggested it was likely a failed rocket attack.
Protests erupted globally, including in Ramallah and Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Protestors in Ramallah demanded the “downfall” of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
October 18
President Biden landed in Tel Aviv where he conveyed his backing for Israel and the “legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.” He, however, refrained from explicitly advocating for a ceasefire.
Biden’s scheduled summit in Amman, Jordan, with leaders from Jordan, Egypt, and Fatah, was canceled in response to the al-Ahli hospital bombing.
October 19
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Israel, during which Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to Hamas as “the new Nazis.” While patrolling the Red Sea, the American destroyer USS Carney successfully intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched from Yemen by the Houthi group, seemingly in the direction of Israel. The U.S. State Department issued an uncommon global alert, advising American citizens “to exercise increased caution.”
President Biden delivered his second Oval Office speech, characterizing the conflict as “an inflection point in history” and drawing parallels with the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted a series of airstrikes, targeting approximately 100 locations during the night of October 18-19.
October 20
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared that following the eradication of Hamas, Israel would give up control of the Gaza Strip and establish a new security framework.
President Biden pledged that the first shipments of humanitarian aid destined for Gaza would reach their destination within “24 to 48 hours.”
October 21
Hamas with mediation from Qatar released two hostages to the International Red Cross.
Protests erupted in the West Bank in support of Gaza, with demonstrators displaying flags of Fatah, Russia, and portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.
Israel’s National Security Council issued an advisory for its citizens to depart from Lebanon and Egypt “as soon as possible.”
A shipment of twenty trucks carrying the first batch of humanitarian aid entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
October 22
Fourteen more Israeli communities near the Lebanese border were evacuated.
Israeli forces conducted a raid in Khan Yunis to locate hostages held by Hamas and target “terrorist infrastructure.” They encountered resistance from Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, who reported destroying two bulldozers and a tank.
Israel carried out an airstrike on the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
UNRWA announced that it would run out of fuel within three days, leading to the prospect of “no water, non-functioning hospitals, and bakeries.”
October 23
Hamas released two additional hostages, both elderly Israeli women, to the Red Cross. Egypt and Qatar played a mediating role in this release, although their husbands are still held in captivity.
October 24
At a press conference, one of the released Hamas hostages mentioned that their ordeal was extremely challenging but noted that she and her fellow hostages were treated well during their captivity. She explained that they had to walk through kilometers of tunnels and were eventually placed in a group living in sanitary yet basic conditions with access to medical care and sustenance.
October 25
Israel reported attacking numerous Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including a military facility.
Tragically, the family of Al-Jazeera journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
October 26 – October 30
Gaza experienced a total loss of communication on October 27. ActionAid reported that it became extremely challenging for people to make emergency calls or receive assistance. Israel initiated an invasion of the Gaza Strip, where they began with a ground offensive in the towns of Beit Hanoun and Bureij.
The Israeli Air Force targeted the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital.
In a separate incident, the al-Qassam brigades fired a “Mutabar” missile at an Israeli drone near Khan Yunis. Additionally, the Syrian Army launched rockets towards Israel.
October 31
The Houthis launched several ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel. In response, the IDF announced the successful interception of drones over the Red Sea, marking the inaugural deployment of its new Arrow aerial defense system.
The Al-Quds Brigades and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades jointly carried out their first coordinated assault on the IDF in the West Bank.
Furthermore, the Abu Ali Mustafa brigades fired mortars into southern Israel.
November 1 – November 6
The IAF reportedly carried out an attack on the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, resulting in significant casualties. Additionally, the IAF conducted airstrikes in the vicinity of the Al-Quds hospital in Gaza.
The Al-Qassam Brigades engaged IDF forces while receiving artillery support from the Al-Quds Brigades in northwest Gaza. They also conducted anti-tank assaults on IDF positions in Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, along with rocket fire towards Tel Aviv.
The Islamic resistance in Iraq claimed an attack on Israel using unspecified weapons, marking the first such incident since the conflict began. Meanwhile, eleven Palestinians lost their lives in the West Bank.
Multiple schools in Gaza were struck by Israeli airstrikes. Various Palestinian groups called for a comprehensive popular mobilization against Israel.
The IDF conducted an airstrike on the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the loss of at least 40 civilian lives.
Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu made a suggestion on November 5, 2023, regarding a nuclear strike on the Gaza Strip. Following this statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu suspended his attendance at cabinet meetings.
November 7
The United Nations issued a plea for an “urgent humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza. They raised concern over Israel’s ongoing attacks and the blockade that hinders the population’s access to essential services, stressing that these conditions are unacceptable. This statement was issued by the Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, situated at the UN Geneva.
In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his readiness to explore “tactical little pauses” in the Gaza conflict to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries. Nonetheless, he refrained from commenting on the idea of a comprehensive ceasefire.